The Los Angeles County Board believes that its primary responsibility is to act in the best interests of every student in the County. To maximize LACOE effectiveness and public confidence in LACOE governance, County Board members are expected to govern responsibly and hold themselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct.
(cf. 9000 - Role of the Board)
(cf. 9270 - Conflict of Interest)
Members of the County Board accept the high honor and trust that have been placed to ensure that the children of Los Angeles County receive the best education available anywhere in the United States of America. In accepting this role, County Board Members hold the pursuit of that goal as their sacred duty.
County Board members shall:
1. Recognize and respect differences of perspective and style on the County Board and among staff, students, parents and the community
2. Keep confidential matters confidential
(cf. 9011 - Disclosure of Confidential/Privileged Information)
3. Not use their positions for personal or partisan gain
4. Participate in professional development, model continuous learning, and commit the time and energy necessary to be an informed and effective leader
(cf. 9240 - Board Development)
5. Understand the distinctions between County Board and staff roles, and refrain from performing management functions that are the responsibility of the County Superintendent and staff
(cf. 2110 - Superintendent Responsibilities and Duties)
6. Refer constituent complaints and concerns to the County Superintendent
7. Respect the leadership roles of the County Board Chair and the County Superintendent
8. Understand that authority rests with the County Board as a whole and not with individuals and make no independent commitments to take any independent actions that may compromise the County Board as a whole
(cf. 9200 - Limits of Board Member Authority)
County Board members also shall assume collective responsibility for building unity and creating a positive organizational culture. To operate effectively, the County Board shall have a unity of purpose and:
1. Place the interests of children above all others with a focus on the achievement of all students including students with special needs, juvenile court school students, foster youth, and homeless students, regardless of race, class, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, gender identity or gender expression, and religious affiliation
2. Collaborate with the County Superintendent to communicate a common vision so that the vision, goals, strategic plan strategies, educational programs, and policies of LACOE can be implemented
(cf. 0000 - Vision)
(cf. 0100 - Philosophy)
(cf. 0200 - Goals for the LACOE)
3. Employ best practices and utilize data-based evaluation and methodology to improve student outcomes
4. Base decisions on available facts, avoid bias, and uphold and support the decisions of the majority of the County Board once a decision is made
5. Operate openly and work to build trust among and between County Board Members and the County Superintendent by treating everyone with dignity, civility, and respect, even in times of disagreement with an understanding of the implications of demeanor and behavior
6. Uphold all Federal and State laws, County Board policies and regulations, and work with fellow governance team members to change those policies as needed to improve student learning
(cf. 9310 - Board Policies)
7. Take collective responsibility for the County Board's performance
8. Periodically evaluate its own effectiveness
(cf. 9400 - Board Self-Evaluation)
9. Ensure opportunities for a diverse range of views to inform County Board deliberations
(cf. 1220 - Citizen Advisory Committees)
(cf. 9323 - Meeting Conduct)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
1040 Duties and responsibilities: county boards of education 1942 County boards; authority
35010 Power of governing board to adopt rules for its own governance 35160 Board authority to act in any manner not conflicting with law 35164 Actions by majority vote
GOVERNMENT CODE
1090 Financial interest in contract
1098 Disclosure of confidential information 1125-1129 Incompatible activities
54950-54963 The Ralph M. Brown Act 87300-87313 Conflict of interest code
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
CSBA Professional Governance Standards, 2000 Maximizing School Board Leadership: Boardsmanship, 1996 WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
Bylaw LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
adopted: April 3, 2018 Downey, California