Board Memebers

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Nespelem School District

The Board of Director’s for the Nespelem School District (NSD) holds that the values, knowledge and skills of effective school directors are based on adherence to basic principles such as honesty, integrity and respect for human dignity.

We, as independently elected officials, recognize and accept the responsibility of our role and our personal authority to act. We commit to taking the time necessary to understand the beliefs, acquire the knowledge and develop the skills necessary to be effective school directors.

Beliefs

We believe each individual director is responsible to:

• Be fully prepared and work within the board’s structure;

• Make decisions to ensure equal access to public education;

• Acknowledge that an effective board must be composed of members who respect its processes and recognize dissenting viewpoints;

• Respect the professional expertise of district staff as necessary for the operation of effective schools;

• Recognize that schools thrive in a community where there is an atmosphere of mutual respect;

• Support actions taken by the board and clearly differentiate personal opinion from board decisions when speaking in the minority;

• Make decisions to ensure the rights and welfare of all students;

• Make decisions that respect and accommodate diversity;

• Maintain independent judgment free of special interests and partisan political groups and avoid the use of schools for personal gain;

• Promote environments that meet the educational needs of all students;

• Recognize that effective internal and external communications are an essential part of our public schools and the role of a school director;

• Consider data-driven educational research in conjunction with proven practices and community input in making decisions;

• Be accountable for personal actions;

• Work cooperatively with other directors, the staff and the community;

• Understand his/her role in policy making, monitoring and evaluating school district policies; and

• Be sensitive to how independent statements or actions of a director may be perceived.

Knowledge and Skills

We believe that successful school directors will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to:

• Understand the state’s laws and regulations and their district’s policies and procedures and contractual obligations which govern the operation of schools;

• Recognize that their school board authority to act can be exercised only when participating in an official meeting of the board;

• Hold confidential from the public, including families and friends, all matters discussed in executive session;

• Accept the appropriate roles of the board and the superintendent in the operation of the school district;

• Strategically plan for the schools’ short-, intermediate- and long-range futures; enact policies to ensure fair, efficient and effective operations; monitor — not manage — the implementation of plans and policies and evaluate the district’s educational effectiveness;

• Develop interdependent relationships based on collaboration with other school board directors, other educational policy makers and appropriate agencies which will improve public education; and

• Keep abreast of important developments in educational trends, research and practices.

(Adopted 2021)