To avoid challenges for school council chairs to control the attitude of meetings, consider setting the expectation for conduct at the first meeting. When I was a school council chair I printed this Code of Ethics from the Ministry Guide for School Councils, as a poster and invited every member of the council to sign it. We posted it in our regular meeting space so if meetings got off track, any member could simply point to the poster and remind the speaker to adhere to their commitment to operate in a spirit of respect.
CODE OF ETHICS (School Councils)
A MEMBER SHALL…
- Consider the best interests of all students.
- Be guided by the school’s and the school board’s mission statements.
- Act within the limits of the roles and responsibilities of a school council, as identified by the school’s operating guidelines, the school board, and the Ontario Ministry of Education.
- Become familiar with the school’s policies and operating practices and act in accordance with them.
- Maintain the highest standards of integrity.
- Recognize and respect the personal integrity of each member of the school community.
- Treat all other members with respect and allow for diverse opinions to be shared without interruption.
- Encourage a positive environment in which individual contributions are encouraged and valued.
- Acknowledge democratic principles and accept the consensus of the council.
- Respect the confidential nature of some school business and respect limitations this may place on the operation of the school council.
- Not disclose confidential information.
- Limit discussions at school council meetings to matters of concern to the school community as a whole.
- Use established communication channels when questions or concerns arise.
- Promote high standards of ethical practice within the school community.
- Declare any conflict of interest.
- Not accept any payment or benefit financially through school council involvement.
Source: Adapted from the bylaws of the Port Arthur Collegiate Institute School Council, Lakehead Board of Education, Thunder Bay, Ontario.
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