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Governance

Code of conduct

The standards everyone who takes part in CENTS agrees to.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-16

Who this covers

Everyone who holds a CENTS role, sponsors a younger person, or contacts a school district or public office in connection with CENTS. Delegates and directors agree to it when they take a role.

What we ask

  • Be accurate. Say only what a source supports. Cite the statute, rule or document. If you do not know, say so.
  • Stay nonpartisan. Do not use the CENTS name to support or oppose any candidate, party or bill.
  • Be courteous. Records requests and follow-ups are polite and plain. No pressure, no threats, no harassment, and no discrimination of any kind.
  • Protect privacy.Do not share anyone’s personal information. Never include student names or records in a request, a log or a message.
  • Be honest about your role. Use only the title you have earned. Do not say that any official or organization supports or works with CENTS unless that is published on this site.
  • Do not handle money. CENTS does not accept donations or payments. Do not ask for money in its name.
  • In the researcher portal, use a username, never your real name. Put only a source, an exact excerpt and a citation in an evidence record, never personal information. Say honestly what you could not confirm. Submit only your own work, and never share your sign-in with anyone. The portal is a private pilot.
  • In outreach, contact only adults, and only at a public work address that they publish for their job, from a page you can point to. Never enter a personal email address, a phone number or anything that belongs to a student. Send only the approved wording, unchanged, and copy the CENTS outreach address on every email. Do not say or suggest that any official, office or organization supports, endorses or works with CENTS. If you are under 16, do not send anything yourself: a CENTS adult sends for you. The portal records outreach and never sends it.
  • Follow the youth-safety rules. See youth safety. Anyone under 16 takes part with a parent or teacher sponsor.

Reporting a concern

If something breaks this code, tell us. See how to report a concern. Reports are read by the people who run CENTS, and the person who made the report is not named to the person reported.

What happens next

Depending on what happened, we may give a reminder, remove a title, or end someone’s role. We do not publish the names of people involved in a conduct report.