District 158's Code of Conduct Policy

The policy below is posted on the wall in the District 158 board room. Bongo has lost count of the number of times Aileen Seedorf has reminded everyone that she feels the policy is "subjective and open to interpretation." Bongo thinks that common sense and good behavior is not open to interpretation and should be a no brainer for elected officials. Read the policy for yourself and see if you can count the number of infractions by Snow and Seedorf. Shame, shame on them. Especially when they go on to complain to police and state's attorneys about the conduct of the others.

Bongo's Doggy Dictionary defines hypocrite as:

1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

Me thinks Snow and Seedorf should try on that shoe to see if it fits.


Board Member Code of Conduct

Each member of District 158 Board of Education ascribes to the following code of conduct:

1. I shall represent all school district constituents honestly and equally and refuse to surrender my responsibilities to special interest or partisan political groups.

2. I shall avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety which could result from my position, and shall not use my Board of Education membership for personal gain or publicity.

3. I shall recognize that a Board of Education member has no legal authority as an individual and that decisions can be made only by a majority vote at a Board of Education meeting.

4. I shall take no private action that might compromise the Board or administration and shall respect the confidentiality of privileged information.

5. I shall abide by majority decisions of the Board of Education, while retaining the right to see changes in such decisions through ethical and constructive channels.

6. I shall encourage and respect the free expression of opinion by my fellow Board of Education members and others who seek a hearing before the Board of Education.

7. I shall be involved and knowledgeable about not only local educational concerns, but also about State and national issues. In addition, I shall encourage my Board of Education to pursue the following goals:

1. The development of educational programs which meet the individual needs of every student, regardless of ability, race, sex, creed, social standing, or disability;

2. The development of procedures for the regular and systematic evaluation of programs, staff performance and Board of Education operations to ensure progress toward educational andfiscal goals;

3. The development of effective Board of Education policies which provide direction for the operation of the schools and delegate authority to the Superintendent for their administration;

4. The development of systematic communications which ensure that the Board of Education, administration, staff, students and community are fully informed and that the staff understands the community’s aspirations for its schools; and

5. The development of sound business practices which ensure that every dollar spent produces maximum benefits.

UPDATED: July 12, 2004