February 7, 2019
Standards of Trustee Conduct and Code of Ethics
As Board members we are required by law to demonstrate certain standards of behavior in carrying out our responsibilities to the school we serve. Sometimes it is good to be reminded of our basic duties of care, loyalty and obedience. If you want to share this reminder with your Board members,
Click Here
for this helpful resource from Board Source.
Duty of Care:
A board member owes the duty to exercise reasonable care when he or she makes a decision as a steward of the organization.
Duty of Loyalty:
A board member must give undivided allegiance when making decisions affecting the organization.
Duty of Obedience:
Requires board members to be faithful to the organization’s mission and to obey the law and the organization’s internal rules and regulations.
This Board Source document also discusses the increased interest in organizations creating a code of ethics that
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shapes the actions, behaviors, and decision making of an organization in a more explicit way
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given the increased scrutiny and demand for board accountability.
Does your school have a code of ethics that guides actions, behaviors and decision making by the faculty, staff, and the Board? This Board Source resource provides a great example of sample language and context for developing your own code of ethics at your school.
