Superintendent Of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho Announces Measures To Ensure Ethics, Fairness And Accountability

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS ALBERTO M. CARVALHO
ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO ENSURE ETHICS, FAIRNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho today announced a series of proactive measures intended to assure all M-DCPS employees are aware of requirements associated with Florida's Code of Ethics, Sunshine Law and Public Records Act; and to tighten ethical standards in the school district, as well as maintaining transparency and fairness in business practices ensuring strict accountability for the public’s funds.

Ethics training for all employees beginning with construction and maintenance project management staff;
Reviewing procurement committee composition and adding additional outside individuals and/or entities who are experts in their fields, but have no conflicting business, personal, or monetary interests in the particular procurement transaction being considered;
Establishing tougher standards regarding potential conflicts-of-interest and non-influence certification requirements for employees and procurement committee members, with specific consequences if those standards should be breached;
Developing new contract language to make contracts more favorable for the School Board, by limiting the Board’s liability and placing more liability on those who contract with the Board;
Strengthening and/or developing regulations and language associated with lobbying related to any and all procurement processes;
Launching an awareness campaign trumpeting the expectation of ethics in the workplace.