Board Members shall carry out their duties in a manner that inspires and secures the confidence of the FIS community. They shall exercise the utmost good faith in all transactions relating to their duties to the organization and its property.

Each Board Member is expected to:

• demonstrate a strong commitment to the school;

• support the school’s mission, beliefs, and objectives;

• understand and contribute to the formulation of the school’s strategic priorities;

• be informed about ongoing operations and attend all relevant meetings regularly;

• understand that the Head of School, and not the Board of Trustees, is responsible for implementing policies and the day-to-day operation of the school;

• maintain the confidentiality of Board of Trustees deliberations and any information that may reasonably be deemed to be confidential;

• maintain a clear separation between a Board Member’s role as a parent and their role as a Board Member;

• properly direct any concerns and complaints from community members to the relevant administrator or Head of School;

• form opinions on the basis of evidence rather than anecdote;

• practice respect and restraint in discussions; and

• remain conscious of the impact of a Board Member’s words and actions on the integrity of the Board of Trustees as a whole.

The Board of Trustees shall manage its own affairs to ensure effective decision making, orderly transitions, and regular self-appraisal. These efforts include: empowering each member with timely and substantive reports and with regular opportunities to ask questions, understanding issues, participating genuinely in decision making, and regularly assessing Board performance and the performance of the Chair.

At the beginning of each school year, Board Members attend a workshop during which they establish clear goals and develop indicators and assessment measures to track progress toward achieving these goals. Board Members also develop a list of essential commitments that guide them to work efficiently and professionally throughout the school year.

The entire Board of Trustees is accountable to the collective membership of the Association and is expected to act and speak as one and support all Board decisions. In executing its responsibilities, the Board of Trustees shall seek to ensure that the Association membership is aware of, and approves of, the work of the Board of Trustees.