Missouri Association of School Administrators

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Missouri Association of School Administrators

• Ethics Issues for Superintendents
• Missouri School Boards Association Conference,
  October 24, 2009

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Presenters

• Roger Kurtz, Executive Director MASA
• David McGehee, Lees Summit
• Aaron Zalis, Rolla
• John Cary, St. Louis Co. Special

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Motivation For Discussion

• School administrator compensation questioned by
  politicians and others
• Questions raised around the state regarding
• Personal expenses
• Email use
• Cell phone usage
• Automobile use
• Vendor relations

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Motivation For Discussion

• MASA had no formal discussion on ethics issues
  and only a reference to the AASA Ethics Statement
  in the MASA White Paper
• Growing sentiment among school administrators
  that the association needs to have an open
  discussion of ethics issues
• MASA Ethics Committee appointed by MASA President
  VeAnn Tilson in 2008

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MASA Ethics Committee
Membership
Northwest Region Rob Leachman,
Smithville Jeffrey Sumy, North
Platte Greater KC Region David McGehee, Lees
Summit (Chair) West Central Region David
Lawrence, Lafayette Co. C-1 Southwest Region
Tim Taylor, Hollister South Central
Region Aaron Zalis, Rolla Southeast
Region Kelly Burlison, Fredericktown Greater
STL Region John Cary, St. Louis Co.
Special Northeast Region Roy Moss, North
Callaway Co. R-1 Fred Wiebling, Madison
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Goal
Provide recommendations to the MASA Executive
Committee related to school administrator ethics
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Committee Charge

• Review MASA Ethics Statement
• Discuss how to improve the image of school
  administrators
• Review and recommend policies and procedures to
  address travel, expense reimbursement, meeting
  attendance, handling of electronic
  communications, etc.
• Discuss the issue of posting superintendent
  salary information

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Review MASA Ethics Statement

• AASA Ethics Statement was used for MASA
• Evaluated more than a dozen other Ethics
  Statements from around the country
• Many similarities found
• Recommended revisions to the AASA Statement of
  Ethics to be adopted by MASA as the
• MASA CODE OF ETHICS FOR
• SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
• Standards should be promoted frequently to
  membership and public to ensure awareness

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Improving Image of School Administrators

• Seek public opportunity to celebrate the positive
  impact that superintendents have on their schools
  and communities
• Form a committee to include representatives from
  the Missouri School Public Relations Association
  to develop a plan of action
• Committee believes that image will improve as a
  result of adherence to a specific set of
  standards such as those being recommended
• Promotion of such standards will have a positive
  impact on image

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Review and Recommend Best Practice Policies and
Procedures

• Discussion led to a wide array of issues for
  consideration
• Work with the Missouri Association of School
  Business Officials to provide guidance to school
  districts in the area of business-related
  policies and procedures
• Develop a Model Standard Business Operations
  Manual or template that would assist districts in
  developing their own
• Important to review such operations guidelines
  annually to remain current with accepted
  practice, statutes, and align with existing
  economic climate

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Posting of Superintendent Salaries

• Issue arose from previous attention given to this
  idea
• Recommend no further study or posting of
  superintendent salaries at this time
• Was not a major topic during the last legislative
  session
• Salary information is readily available and
  already provided upon request on a regular basis
  in many districts
• St. Louis Post Dispatch has created a data base
  in which you can look up any school employees
  salary information that is on record with the
  Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Vendor Relations

• Responsibility
• Expectations
• Environment
• Guidelines

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Responsibility

• A school district operates using funds collected
  from taxpayers for the benefit of the districts
  educational program
• As school leaders we have an obligation to
  maintain oversight of the resources that have
  been provided

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Expectations

• Citizens of our district have the expectation
  that

• Money in our control will be safeguarded

• Money will be spent wisely and for authorized
  purposes

• When asset misappropriation occurs, the publics
  trust is breached

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Environment

• School leaders must set the tone at the top
• Create and maintain a culture of honesty and high
  ethics
• Evaluate the risks of fraud and implement the
  processes, procedures, and controls needed to
  mitigate the risks and reduce the opportunities
  for fraud
• Develop an appropriate oversight process
• Trust, but verify

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Environment

• Create an environment with internal controls
  even the smallest departments or districts must
  have procedures for oversight and verification
• Create a culture that is open and allows
  questions to be asked. Have a policy outlining
  reporting fraud and abuse

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Guidelines

• Adopt board policies regarding purchasing
  guidelines
• Follow board policies regarding purchasing
  guidelines
• Samples of policies
• MSBA (Handout)

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Samples of Policies

• FISCAL ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING / ACCOUNTING
  SYSTEM
• FILE DI CRITICAL
• PETTY CASH ACCOUNTS
• FILE DJB BASIC
• BIDDING REQUIREMENTS
• FILE DJC CRITICAL
• PURCHASING
• FILE DJF CRITICAL
• EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS
• FILE DLC BASIC

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Guidelines

• Communicate clearly appropriate and inappropriate
  expenditures
• All purchases should have proper approval and
  follow the districts policies
• All items on invoices should be verified as
  received
• Request for expense reimbursement must have
  original itemized receipts
• Require W-9 forms for all vendors (reduces the
  opportunity for bogus vendors to be established)

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Guidelines

• Maintain your independence with vendors
• Avoid conflicts of interest with your vendors
• Avoid the appearance of conflict of interest with
  your vendors
• Develop a vendors relation policy
• Periodically and systemically bid items over
  time vendors may not be as competitive as they
  once were

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Suggestions For Follow-up

• Discuss ethics with leadership teams on a regular
  basis
• Review appropriate vendor relations with staff
• School Boards work with administration to ensure
  sound ethics policies and related procedures
  exist
• Include an ethics component in administrator
  evaluations
• Know your own communitys values and priorities
  when it comes to ethical behavior
• Reflect on your own experiences and behaviors
  with a focus on ethics

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Resources

• Charter
• MASA Code of Ethics for Educational Leaders
• Summary Report of Ethics Committee
• MSBA Sample Policies
• Sample Budget Guidelines Document
• Sample Travel Guidelines Document
• Copies of these resources can be found at
• www.masaonline.org, Ethics tab