1821 Standards for Individual School Directors

Each individual board director will annually review the WSSDA Individual School Director Standards as a basis for assessing their own conduct as an elected school director. Collectively, the board will assess its performance in terms of its six major functions:

1.    Values and Ethical Behavior

1. Place students’ needs first.
2. Demonstrate commitment to equity and high standards of achievement for each student.
3. Commit to treating each individual with dignity and respect.
4. Model high ethical standards.
5. Advocate for public education.

2.    Leadership

1. Contributing to thoughtful governance discussions and decisions by being well informed, open-minded and deliberative.
2. Understanding that authority rests with the board as a whole and not with individual directors.
3. Articulating and modeling appropriate school director roles and responsibilities.
4. Actively participating in school director duties and responsibilities.
5. Demonstrating group membership and leadership skills, working within the board structure.
6. Respecting the board’s role in policy making and supporting all adopted board policies.

3.    Communication

1. Building and maintaining positive connections with the community and staff.
2. Communicating accurately and honestly, with awareness of the impact of their words and actions.
3. Listening carefully and with an open mind.
4. Maintaining civility and treating all people with respect and dignity.
5. Maintaining confidentiality of appropriate matters.
6. Referring people with needs or concerns to appropriate staff.
7. Welcoming family, student, staff and community input.

4.    Professional Development

1. Committing the time and energy necessary to be informed and competent.
2. Keeping abreast of current issues, research, applicable laws, regulations, and policies that affect public education.
3. Participating in professional development, individually and with the board/superintendent team.

5.    Accountability

1. Contributing to a functioning and effective board-superintendent team.
2. Taking personal responsibility for their own words and actions and the impact they have on others.
3. Respecting and abiding by board decisions.
4. Meeting expectations for transparency, including disclosing potential conflicts of interest and refraining from discussing or voting on those issues.
5. Complying with board policies and all laws.

6.    Commitment to Education Equity

1. Engaging in ongoing learning about educational equity, diversity, inclusion and cultural competency as it relates to the role of the board.
2. Seeking to understand their own culture and how it may differ from others’.
3. Honoring the diverse experiences, strengths and barriers to success of students, staff and families.
4. Collaboratively and proactively working to remove barriers for students, staff and families.
5. Ensuring multiple perspectives are heard and honored by providing equitable opportunities for input.
6. Fostering a culture of dignity and belonging by example and through policy.

cross References

Washington School Board Standards