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Page 1 of 5
No. 011
SECTION:
LOCAL BOARD PROCEDURES
TITLE:
BOARD GOVERNANCE
STANDARDS/CODE OF
CONDUCT
ADOPTED:
April 20, 2006
REVISED:
EASTON AREA
SCHOOL DISTRICT
011. BOARD GOVERNANCE STANDARDS/CODE OF CONDUCT
Section 1. Standards For Effective School Governance
To promote student growth and achievement, an effective School Board…
a.
Advocates for a thorough and efficient system of public education by:
1.
Promoting public education as a keystone of democracy.
2.
Engaging and promoting community support by seeking input, building
support networks and generating action.
3.
Allocating resources in a manner designed to facilitate student achievement
consistent with school district goals and plans.
4.
Maintaining legislative awareness and communicating with members of
local, state and federal legislative bodies.
5.
Ensuring strong management of the school system by hiring, setting goals
with and evaluating the Superintendent.
6.
Employing qualified staff to meet student and program needs.
b.
Models responsible governance and leadership by:
1.
Staying current with changing needs and requirements by reviewing
educational literature, attending professional development opportunities
prior to Board service and continuously during Board service, and preparing
to make informed decisions.
2.
Interacting with school officials in other districts and using resources
provided by organizations and agencies committed to effective governance
and management of public schools.
011. BOARD GOVERNANCE STANDARDS/CODE OF CONDUCT - Pg. 2
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3.
Leading with respect and taking full responsibility for Board activity and
behavior.
4.
Adopting and acting in accordance with the PSBA Code of Conduct for
Members of Pennsylvania School Boards.
5.
Engaging all community stakeholders.
6.
Complying with Board policy and all applicable local, state and federal laws
and regulations.
7.
Operating as a collective Board in making decisions.
8.
Participating in annual Board retreats.
c.
Governs through policy by:
1.
Seeking input from stakeholders and following an established procedure for
consideration.
2.
Regularly reviewing and, as necessary, revising and adopting Board policy.
3.
Delegating to the Superintendent responsibility for implementation of Board
policy.
4.
Ensuring public access to adopted Board policy.
5.
Purposefully linking its actions to applicable Board policies.
d.
Ensures that effective planning occurs by:
1.
Adopting and implementing a collaborative strategic planning process,
including regular reviews.
2.
Setting annual goals that are aligned with the Strategic Plan.
3.
Linking Board actions to the Strategic Plan.
4.
Adopting a financial plan that considers short-term and long-term needs.
5.
Adopting professional development plans for Board and staff.
011. BOARD GOVERNANCE STANDARDS/CODE OF CONDUCT - Pg. 3
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6.
Adopting a plan to ensure evaluation of student growth and achievement
using relevant data.
7.
Adopting a master facilities plan conducive to teaching and learning.
8.
Adopting a plan for curriculum review and development.
e.
Monitors results by:
1.
Using data appropriately to make informed decisions.
2.
Ensuring effective practices for evaluation of staff, programs, plans and
services.
3.
Evaluating its own performance.
4.
Assessing student growth and achievement.
5.
Evaluating the effectiveness of the Strategic Plan.
f.
Communicates with and engages the community by:
1.
Distributing relevant information about the district.
2.
Providing methods of communication to the Board and appropriate staff.
3.
Seeking input through a variety of methods.
4.
Including stakeholders in all communications.
Section 2. Code Of Conduct For School Board Members
a.
We, as members of our local Board of Education, representing all the residents
of our school district, believe that:
1.
Striving toward ideal conditions for effective School Board service to our
community, in a spirit of teamwork and devotion to public education, is the
greatest instrument for preserving and perpetuating our representative
democracy.
2.
The future welfare of this community, commonwealth and nation depends
upon the quality of education we provide in the public schools.
011. BOARD GOVERNANCE STANDARDS/CODE OF CONDUCT - Pg. 4
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3.
In order to maintain a free and strong country, our civic obligation to the
community, commonwealth and nation is to maintain free and strong public
schools in the United States of America, without surrendering our
responsibilities to any other person, group or organization.
4.
Boards of School Directors share responsibility for ensuring a “thorough and
efficient system of public education” as required by the Pennsylvania
Constitution.
5.
Our fellow residents have entrusted us with the advocacy for and
stewardship of the education of the youth of this community.
6.
The public expects that our first and greatest priority is to provide equitable
educational opportunities for all youth.
b.
Accordingly:
1.
The community should be provided with information about its schools and
be engaged by the Board and staff to encourage input and support for the
school system.
2.
Devoting time, thought and study to our duties and responsibilities as School
Board members is critical for rendering effective and credible service.
3.
Board members should work together in a spirit of harmony, respect and
cooperation, despite differences of opinion.
4.
Personal decisions should be based upon all sufficient facts, we should vote
our honest conviction without partisan bias, and we will abide by and
uphold the majority decision of the Board.
5.
Individuals have no legal authority outside the meetings of the Board, and
should conduct their relationships with all stakeholders and media on this
basis.
6.
We will not use our positions as School Directors to benefit ourselves or any
individual or agency.
7.
School Boards must balance their responsibility to provide educational
programs with the need to be effective stewards of public resources.
8.
We should recognize that the primary responsibility of the Board is to adopt
policies by which the schools are to be administered.
011. BOARD GOVERNANCE STANDARDS/CODE OF CONDUCT - Pg. 5
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9.
We should respect that the Superintendent of Schools and his/her staff are
responsible and accountable for the delivery of the educational programs
and the conduct of school operations.
10.
Communication with all stakeholders and the media should be conducted in
accordance with Board policy.