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• Be fully prepared and work within the Board’s structure;
• Make decisions to ensure equal access to public education as the best way to sustain the democratic way of life;
• Acknowledge that an effective Board must be composed of members who respect its processes and recognize dissenting viewpoints;
• Respect the professional expertise of district staff as necessary for the operation of effective schools;
• Recognize that schools thrive in a community where there is an atmosphere of mutual respect;
• Support actions taken by the Board and clearly differentiate personal opinions from Board decisions when speaking in the minority;
• Make decisions to ensure the rights and welfare of all children;
• Ensure that schools are free of bigotry and racism;
• Maintain independent judgment free of special interests and partisan political groups and avoid the use of schools for personal gain;
• Create educational environments that meet the individual needs of all students;
• Recognize that effective internal and external communications are an essential part of our public schools and their roles as school board members;
• Utilize educational research and practices as a basis for making decisions;
• Be accountable for their actions;
• Cooperate with other board members, the staff, and community, and;
• Exercise self-control by confining their actions to policy making, monitoring, and evaluation of educational policies.

• Understand the State’s laws and regulations and their district’s policies and procedures and contractual obligations which govern the operation of schools;
• Recognize that School Board authority to act can be exercised only when participating in an official meeting of the Board;
• Hold confidential from the public, including families and friends, all matters discussed in Executive Sessions;
• Know and accept the appropriate roles of the Board and the Superintendent in the operation of the school district;
• Know how to strategically plan for the schools’ short, intermediate, and long-range futures and enact policies to ensure fair, efficient, and effective operations, monitor—not manage—the implementation of plans and policies, and evaluate the District’s educational effectiveness;
• Recognize that the Board must devote adequate resources to staff development for the professional growth of the District;
• Know that interdependent relationships based on collaboration with other school board members, boards, other educational policy makers, and appropriate agencies will improve public education; and
• Keep abreast of important developments in educational trends, research, and practices.

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