Experts share their thoughts on ethics for the publicly elected board
Staying on the right side of the law is top of mind for publicly elected boards, whether representing municipalities or schools. But there’s another type of “right” beyond legal requirements: ethics. And this grayer area, while of utmost importance to boards, can be complex to navigate.
Would you consider your board ethical? How important are ethics to the board’s work? And what support do board members get to understand and embody ethical behavior?
We talked to board experts to find out what role ethics play in school and civic boards and collected ideas for how you can strengthen the presence of ethics in your boardroom.
Build shared understanding
Andrea Messina, Chief Executive Officer, Florida School Boards Association: “Boards and communities should not be afraid to discuss ethical expectations — what is considered ethical and what is not. Shared definitions help everyone and provide clear parameters for behavior.”
Ethics is not necessarily an intuitive topic for all. And even those who understand ethical decisions in their daily lives may not understand how that translates to board service. Ethics can influence policy-making, voting outcomes — even how much a board member prioritizes their service. One way boards can develop shared understanding is by creating and regularly reviewing a code of ethics.
Strengthen public trust through accountability and transparency
“The conduct of government employees and elected officials is a reflection of the government body as a whole. As such, it is vital that the decisions and behaviors of government employees and elected officials result in transparency, accountability and impartiality. Not only is the letter of the law of great importance, but the appearance of ethical behavior and decision-making will make or break whether or not public trust is secured and maintained. Government employees and elected officials have a social responsibility to ensure they remain trusted public servants.” Lisa Frederick, City Clerk and Deputy City Administrator, City of Clinton, Iowa
“Many times, when there is a real or perceived breach of ethics by one school director, the entire board is viewed by the members of the community as unethical. It can take time to rebuild the public’s trust, and this takes focus away from the main mission of the school board: providing the educational environment necessary for student achievement.” Davelyn Smeltzer, Senior Director of Policy Services, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
Public boards benefit from ethical behavior and face consequences for lapses. A significant risk to the board is a member operating with a conflict of interest — a personal or professional vested interest in, for example, a voting outcome or budgetary decision. A single lapse or even appearance of a conflict of interest can damage the board’s reputation for years to come.
Ensure all board members understand the severity of serving with a conflict of interest by offering regular training on this and other ethical issues. You can also gather information on potential conflicts of interest by surveying board members on other professional affiliations, pertinent familial relationships and more.
Set an example
“As the governing team of an organization, the board of directors sets the tone for the entire organization. And people are watching. Board members should role model the behavior they want the rest of the employees to exemplify.” Steve Schroeder, board member, Sun Prairie Schools, Wisconsin
“Ethics matter in the boardroom if you want them to matter throughout the organization. The board sets the tone for how an organization operates. If the board operates devoid of ethics, the board should not be surprised when the organization follows suit.” Andrea Messina, Chief Executive Officer, Florida School Boards Association
“As a public institution, we are legally and ethically required to be good stewards of the state and county's financial resources. Additionally, we ensure students receive a quality education and that our community has a well-trained workforce. Because of these factors, our trustees and administration are examples for others to follow and are under the spotlight. What we do sets the standard for what is expected of our students.” Chad A. Bledsoe, Ph.D., President, Montgomery Community College, North Carolina
Everyone in the community benefits from leaders who embody ethical behavior. Seeing board members make difficult but moral decisions sets an expectation for those at every level, from staff to students or citizens to vendors, volunteers and other stakeholders.
Public boards have a unique (and legally mandated) opportunity to share the rationale behind their actions and voting, and they can do this by making this information available through the public — in meeting minutes, livestreamed discussions and other communications.
Facilitate and improve decision-making
“Base decisions on educated information and research, be accountable for your decisions and be responsive to feedback and concerns brought forward. Provide transparency when a declared conflict of interest occurs.” Gwen Dombroski, Manager of Legislative Services and Clerk, County of Renfrew, Ontario
“Ensuring that you ethically serve your community requires diligence and consistency. Every action and decision should be run through the ethics filter. Listen to your gut. If something feels wrong, it probably is wrong and you should think carefully about whether or not you should do it.” Andrea Messina, Chief Executive Officer, Florida School Boards Association
Incorporating ethics understanding and discussion can simplify decision-making and make the board’s position more defensible. It also helps set a precedent that simplifies later decision-making.
Again, conflicts of interest are a good example of incorporating ethics into board action; when a board member is quick to volunteer information about a conflict of interest and recuse him- or herself from any related action, others will be more likely to follow suit in the future.
Work better together
“District work can be derailed if board members cannot have the necessary truthful, and sometimes difficult, discussions required. I've been part of a board when ethical standards were not followed by all of the members. It was a frustrating experience on a personal and professional level. Following a code of ethics is the same as being a trustworthy leader. It is difficult to work with untrustworthy or unethical people. I think it is important for trustees to devise, frequently discuss and revisit their agreed-upon ethics so everyone keeps them at the forefront of their minds when making decisions.” Helen Warwick, former school board member
Very few people seek out contentious board service. While local boards have become ground zero for political and cultural conflicts, board members have an important role to perform to cut through the noise. Working together to agree on ethical principles can serve to bring the board closer and help important work be completed more efficiently.
Read our other expert-led articles:
- Experts share top tips for AI governance
- Experts share their thoughts on board engagement
- Experts tell us why technology matters for community transparency
How board management software supports ethics in the public board
Boards have a powerful tool at their disposal for supporting all ethics efforts. Board management software — in particular a full-featured solution like Diligent Community — offers functionality to strengthen the ethical board.
- Store documents and data related to codes of ethics, conflicts of interest and more in the searchable, accessible document library.
- The Public Website supports transparency by making it easy for citizens, parents and others to understand decisions and the thinking that goes into them.
- The board can use the Policy Publisher to simplify and automate reviews, edits and approvals of an ethics policy and make it available to the public.
Ethics is a complex topic, but understanding is necessary for a healthy, trusted public board. Diligent Community provides a strategic solution to support ethical behavior and decision-making for every board member. Let us know how we can help you and your board navigate this topic.
