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Board Norms & Protocols

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Board Norms and Protocols

The Governance Team agrees to: Operate in a manner that reflects

  • Ethical behavior that demonstrates professionalism
  • Commitment to the 3 E’s (Enrolled, Enlisted, and Employed)
  • Invest in our students and staff
  • Student-centered decision making
  • Transparency, Consistency, and Trust
  • Focus on student achievement
  • Excellence in everything we do
  • Unity- Operate as one
  • Open and Approachable

Governance Roles and Responsibilities

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Always put students first when making decisions and keep student achievement as the main focus of board actions.
  2. Follow the Code of Ethics and disclose any conflicts of interest.
  3. Lead as a united team with the superintendent, each in their respective roles with strong collaboration and mutual trust.
  4. Act as a policymaking body separate from the roles and responsibilities authorized to the superintendent.
  5. Not micromanage the superintendent in the day-to-day operations of the district.
  6. Follow the chain of command and instruct and encourage others to do so when necessary.
  7. Support the team, be open-minded, and be willing to listen.

B. Communication among Board Members/Superintendent

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Respectful and timely communications
  2. Not inundate the superintendent with daily phone calls, but definitely call if there is an emergency.
  3. Expect the superintendent to communicate with all board members regularly using selected modes of email, text, and phone calls.
  4. During times of extreme crisis, when the school system is making decisions about how to respond to a crisis or to prepare for a potential closing, individual board members will direct concerns or questions to the board chair. The board chair and superintendent will maintain daily contact. The board Chair will relay the concerns from board members to the superintendent, and information will be gathered. The board chair will then share updates with the entire board. i.e.: tornadoes, intruder, hurricanes
  5. When all five board members receive emails from constituents, the board chair replies to ALL, including the superintendent, on the thread. If the superintendent and board members are all copied on a constituent’s email, then the superintendent replies ALL in his/her response.
  6. A majority of the board must approve requests for information from individual board members to the superintendent, which will likely require considerable time and effort.
  7.  When a board member has information or data to share with the other board members and/or staff, the board member provides the information/data to the superintendent, who distributes it to pertinent parties.
  8. Confidentiality is assumed in conversations among board members and/or the superintendent unless otherwise noted. Board members are encouraged to engage in phone calls privately and to protect conversations from being overheard.

C. School Visits

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Sign-in procedures will be followed for all school visits.
  2. Board members wishing to make an official visit to a school appropriately will make arrangements with the superintendent at least 48 hours in advance. The purpose of the visit should be stated unless they are invited directly by the school administration or district. Invitations to any school district event, with board member recognition, should be sent to the superintendent's administrative assistant.
  3. If attending in a non-board member capacity, the above protocol is not applicable; however, sign-in procedures must be followed.

D. Communications with Staff

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. The superintendent is the only employee who reports directly to the Board of Education.
  2. Collaborate with the superintendent when wanting to communicate with staff.
  3. Be cohesive as a team and show support for staff.
  4. If there are concerns regarding a staff member or a school issue, the board member will speak privately with the superintendent about the issue unless the superintendent directs them to share the concern otherwise. (i.e., with another staff member)
  5. Always be respectful and courteous to staff.
  6. No surprises during staff presentations at board meetings, and comments are restricted to the specific topic being discussed.
  7. Refer stakeholders’ inquiries and/or concerns to the Superintendent or his/her designee.

E. Chain of Command

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Support the delegation of authority for the day-to-day administration of the school system to the superintendent.
  2. Issues and concerns brought to the board or its members will be directed to the superintendent.
  3. Support and communicate the Chain of Command to the public and advise them to follow it for day-to-day operations.
  4. The Chain of Command starts with the teacher, followed by the principal, then the assistant superintendent, and finally the superintendent.

F. Strategic Planning

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Be engaged and supportive of all staff and students.
  2. Commit to a vision for high expectations for all students, student achievement, and quality instruction with defined goals toward the district's vision.
  3.  Annually commit, support, and monitor the district strategic plan.

G. Board Meetings

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Attend and participate in regularly scheduled and called board meetings.
  2. Be informed and prepared to discuss issues on the board agenda.
  3. Establish procedures to ensure that meetings are in accordance with local board policy and the open meetings law.
  4. Conduct the business of the school district before the public.
  5. Maintain confidentiality of all discussions pertaining to the Board and the school system during the board's executive session.
  6. Collaborate with a spirit of harmony and cooperation and work as a team to resolve issues at board meetings.

Addressing Concerns Regarding Board Norms and Protocols among Board Members

The Governance Team agrees to:

  1. Remain focused on the academic success of Effingham County students and, in turn, remain committed to following the Board Norms and Protocols as closely as possible.
  2. Recognize that honest and open communication regarding best governance practices is paramount to successful governance and positive working relationships.
  3. Attempt to resolve any perceived deviation from board Norms and Protocols in the following manner.
    1. Board members with a concern about another board member will express the concern to the board member privately and seek to resolve the concern.
    2. If the concern is unresolved, the board member concerned about another board member will discuss it privately with the board chair and/or superintendent.
    3. The board chair will meet with the board member of concern and remind them of their Code of Ethics, best board governance practices, the team's commitment to following the Norms and Protocols, and any potential impact a deviation from best practices could have on the school system.
    4. If the aforementioned actions, in the view of the chair, do not bring resolution, then the board chair and one other board member shall meet with the noted board member, remind them of their Code of Ethics to follow governing policies and protocols and seek to garner a commitment to display appropriate action.
    5. If the board chair is the member of noted concern, the vice chair and/or superintendent will hear the concern from any board member. The vice-chair will meet with the chair and include the superintendent or another board member.

● If the above steps are unsuccessful, then Policy BH’s provision, “Upon a motion supported by a two-thirds vote, the board may choose to conduct a hearing concerning a possible violation of this Code of Ethics by a member of the board."