Introduction

Providing a quality education for each student requires a commitment to excellence from the board of education, the superintendent, and all the employees of the district.  Each individual employed by the district has a significant part to play, however for our efforts to be successful; all must work together as a team.  Just as it is crucial for the superintendent and board to work in harmony in a leadership role, it is equally important for the PK-12 staff and building administrators to work together in a collegial manner to ensure that we achieve our mission, which is to prepare students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners by providing a positive educational environment.

We agree that adherence to the following set of principles will ensure effective guidance and operation of the school district, and will accentuate a positive, open, and productive environment for all.

Positiveness

1. The staff and administration recognize that it is essential to remain positive in working together as a team.  Each staff member will strive to develop and maintain a positive atmosphere by:
   
   1. Showing confidence in fellow staff members;
   2. Assuming others are doing the best they can;
   3. Giving more positive reinforcement than negative criticism;
   4. Focusing on how to make things work, rather than dwelling on reasons why things can’t work.

Responsibility to the Team

1. Cooperation, support, and loyalty do not mean we will agree on all issues.  Open and honest discussion will bring out our best thinking and produce the best results.  Each person can be a good team member by:
   
   1. Remembering that each person is accountable to the team for his/her own actions;
   2. Being cooperative;
   3. Responding to situations based on fact, not rumor;
   4. Being willing to express one’s concerns in an open and honest manner, but only if you have a positive solution to the problem;
   5. Handling concerns with another team member in a professional manner and on a one-to-one basis;
   6. Being willing to compromise, i.e., always keeping in mind that the welfare of the students, and the district as a whole will be our priorities;
   7. Exhibiting an attitude of trust and appreciation for one another, as well as a commitment to work toward the resolution of problems;
   8. Being willing to share our good ideas with others, again remembering that we are working as a team, not a group of individuals.

Handling Public Concerns

1. All school employees are encouraged to maintain good communications with patrons of the district.  When approached by a district patron with a concern, a staff member should follow these procedures:
   
   1. Listen to the individual’s concern;
   2. Ask if he/she has discussed the issue with the person immediately responsible; if not, encourage him/her to do so;
   3. Affirm the desire to reach a satisfactory solution, while reinforcing the need to resolve the issue with the person(s) immediately responsible.  If unsuccessful, the staff member will assist the individual in proceeding to the next level of responsibility;
   4. Inform other staff members as soon as possible of unusual happenings which could affect their areas of responsibility;
   5. Refrain from speaking negatively about another team member.  If you have strong personal convictions about the inappropriateness of a fellow team member’s performance or deeds, it is best to act professionally and privately share your concerns with the fellow team member in a direct manner.

Communication

1. Independence staff and administration will always support communication in order to enhance understanding.
   
   1. Effective communication requires high levels of trust.  To achieve this trust, communications must be open, straightforward, and honest.  We will never  knowingly deceive one another;
   2. Open channels of communication must be established and maintained, i.e., make deliberate efforts to share information and data with those whom it affects;
   3. Listen attentively to all audiences, i.e., other staff, students, parents, administrators, patrons;
   4. Eliminate rumors by checking out the facts and then informing those involved of the true facts;
   5. When differences of opinion occur, timing and setting are key elements to consider when expressing those differences;
   6. Each staff member must have the freedom and opportunity to express his/her own beliefs, and has the responsibility to do so in a timely manner;
   7. A good team member does not put a colleague on the spot in a public setting or in a group meeting, unless the uniformly understood ground rules of the meeting permit such action;
   8. When a disagreement arises with a fellow staff member, it is best to deal with the matter in a private, one-on-one situation.

Decision-Making

1. Once a decision or recommendation is made utilizing the following process, everyone on the staff will consistently support the decision:
   
   1. Gather facts pertinent to the issue;
   2. Analyze the facts;
   3. Consider alternatives;
   4. Involve a representative number of those who will be affected by the decision;
   5. Engage in open and honest discussion regarding the facts and options;
   6. Make a decision;
   7. Communicate to others the decision and the rationale behind the decision;
   8. Provide a plan to implement the decision, which contains an ongoing monitoring system;
   1. Keep lines of communication open and listen to those who may have concerns;
   10. Evaluate the “plan” , and if needed make revisions to the plan.  In addition, we cannot be afraid to simply stop and reexamine the plan if we do not think it is working.  More harm is done in perpetuating a “bad” plan than starting over and using what we learned to create a new, more effective plan.

Cross Reference:  401.5   Employee Complaints
                                      307      Administrator Code of Ethics

Approved:  08/20/2007

Reviewed:  09/17/2012, 09/18/2017

Revised:  10/17/2022