The Tuolumne County Board of Education believes that its primary responsibility is to act in the best interests of every student in every school or program operated by the county office of education. The County Board also has major commitments to parents/guardians, all members of the community, employees, the state of California, laws pertaining to public education, and established policies of the County Office. To maximize County Board effectiveness and public confidence in its governance, County Board members are expected to govern responsibly and hold themselves to the highest standards of ethical conduct.
The County Board expects its members to work with each other and with the Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools to ensure that a high-quality education is provided to students in county office schools and/or programs, and that high-quality services are provided to school districts within the jurisdiction of the county office and to the community. Each individual County Board member shall:
1. Keep learning and achievement for all students as the primary focus
2. Value, support and advocate for public education
3. Recognize and respect differences of perspective and style on the County Board and among staff, students, parents/guardians and the community
4. Act with dignity, and understand the implications of demeanor and behavior
5. Keep confidential matters confidential
6. Participate in professional development and commit the time and energy necessary to be an informed and effective leader
7. Understand the distinctions between County Board, County Superintendent and staff roles, and refrain from performing management functions that are the responsibility of the County Superintendent and staff
8. Understand that authority rests with the County Board as a whole and not with individual County Board members
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. Keep focused on student learning and achievement, as well as the role of the county office in providing services to school districts and the community
2. Work collaboratively with the County Superintendent
3. Communicate a common vision
4. Operate openly, with trust and integrity
5. Govern in a dignified and professional manner, treating everyone with civility and respect
6. Govern within County Board-adopted policies and procedures
7. Take collective responsibility for the County Board's performance
8. Periodically evaluate its own effectiveness
9. Ensure opportunities for the diverse range of views in the community to inform County Board deliberations
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
1040 Duties and responsibilities; county boards of education
1042 County boards; authority
33319.5 Implementation of authority of local agencies
35160 Authority of county boards
35164 Actions by majority vote
GOVERNMENT CODE
1090 Financial interest in contract
1098 Disclosure of confidential information
1125-1129 Incompatible activities
54950-54962 The Ralph M. Brown Act
87300-87313 Conflict of interest code
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Professional Governance Standards for County Boards, September 2001
Maximizing School Board Leadership, 1996
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
Bylaw TUOLUMNE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
adopted: December 10, 2007 Sonora, California