When reflecting on what I have read in the book Building an Ethical School by Robert J. Starratt, and the information obtained from my current Ethics and Social Responsibilities class, I feel I have an abundance of valuable information that will guide me in creating an ethical school environment when I am a school leader.
When I think of an ethical school, I envision a school where all members of the school make decisions based on what is right and good. I read once in an article that real leaders concentrate on doing the right thing, not on doing things right. I believe this. If a leader comes to a decision doing the “right” thing, they are also usually doing things right. Having a responsibility to everyone involved in the school community, it is often not clear what is right or wrong or which perspective is right. This is the struggle that school leaders encounter on a daily basis.
As the leader of a school, it will be my responsibility to ensure that all students have the opportunity for a quality education in a safe learning environment. In meeting this responsibility, I feel that it is imperative to not only be concerned with the academics of a school, but to also focus on the creation or sustaining of a school that is ethical. When talking about being the leader of an ethical school, I am talking about being the leader of a school where the administration, teaching staff, clerical & custodial staff, students and parents engage in ethical behavior on a consistent base. Their ethics should be the principles that guide them in making the right or proper decisions.
In the creating of an ethical school, it is the responsibility of the principal to be the focal point of ethical decision making. If the principal acts in an ethical manner there will most likely be a “trickle down effect” causing those under him/her to also act ethically. The principal must ensure that his/her assistant principals are acting ethically and that they are ensuring that the teaching staff is acting ethically. The teaching staff must make sure to act ethically toward their students and in return that the students are acting ethically. When all the leaders of a school act ethically, it will facilitate the students acting ethically. “When youngsters encounter various teachers throughout the school day who model ethical...
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...view them very carefully making sure I was fully aware of all information. One of the summer meetings that I would have with my assistant principals would be exclusively on the Code of Ethics for educators and the Student Code of conduct. During this meeting I would distribute both documents to them explaining my intentions of running an ethical school. I would explain to them that I would expect them to follow the Educators Code of Ethics. I would make them aware of their importance in accomplishing this difficult endeavor, and explain to them my beliefs about being honest, respectful and fair. The assistant principals would be responsible for distributing the Student Code of Conduct to each student that they were responsible for. Each assistant principal would conduct a meeting with their students, reviewing the Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct would have to be brought home and reviewed, being signed by the student and the parent/guardian. The purpose for distributing the Student Code of conduct to all students, which had also has to be signed by parents, is to provide the student and parent of the expectations of their behavior and the possibly consequences of misconduct.
"Code of Ethics – Education Profession ." Florida Department of Education Web. 1 Apr. 2011.
As a leader candidate, I can understand the challenges and multiplicity of complications that administrators must face each day. However, I will not accept any remote possibility that the students must be affected by some flaws of the school organization. We all as leaders, must be strategic with people, time, and money to guide our students towards an academic success.
Since we are truly in turbulent era, filled with ethical dilemmas, a leader who values democratic schooling, based on clear ethical decision making, will, in my opinion, best be able to navigate effectively and support the development
The ethos of a school should be evident as you enter the school, as it is part of the environment and daily practice of staff and pupils who attend. All staff who work at our school are responsible in
Educational ethics are grounded in traditional community values and a compassion of caring internalized by the educational leader. “Great schools grow when educators understand that the power of their leadership lies in the strength of their relationships” (Donaldson, 2007, p. 29). A clear understanding of the ethics of care and profession encourages a strong foundation of educational leadership. Leading with relationships as well as formal and moral standards creates a learning environment that ultimately supports all learners at a rigorous level. A high level of rigor generates a proud school system and community while concurrently laying the foundation for future
Ethical leadership simply means the act of leading by knowing and doing what is right (Wise Geek, 2014). A leader that exhibit ethical leadership understands his or her core values, principles, and beliefs and live true to those values. An ethical leader serves as a mirror through which people view and perceive the organization they represent. Moral and ethical leaders serve as role models for others, who sets realistic, yet a high moral and ethical standards for others to follow and abide. This handbook will help managers to understand the importance and the principle of the moral and ethical leadership, the path to a better ethical decision making, and ways to create a moral and ethical organizational culture.
The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct was developed to uphold the application of core values, ideals, and principles to assist teachers’ decision-making about ethical issues. The Core Values of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct is based on the foundation of the field's commitment to young children. It is noteworthy that all seven of the Code's Core Values directly address our commitment to children:
the values, commitments and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities and affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as educator’s own professional growth. Dispositions are lead by beliefs and attitudes connected to values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility, and social justice. (p. 53)
According to standard two of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (2015), educational leaders should act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner to promote the success of every student. In the scenario, a new assistant superintendent in a school district is head of curriculum and instruction. The school district services 15 schools, 12 elementary schools and 3 junior high schools. The assistant superintendent has prior experience in a previous school district with curriculum and instruction, but seemed much happier in the new district’s atmosphere. The district seems to be more goal-oriented and focused on the upholding the vision and mission of the district. There is also a strong value on self-evaluation
My educational ethics toward each student will be to emphasis that everyone is an individual, they are all special and unique in their own way, and that every student does not learn on the same level. I hope my students will treat each other the way they want to be treated, and respect those that may be less fortunate. It will be wonderful to put back into the community a well-rounded individual that may make a difference in the life of someone else.
From an ethical point of view, it is essential for leaders to make ethical choices and create an ethical work environment. It is the responsibility of leaders to respond to the demands of society to make the right decisions. It is the leader 's beliefs, values, vision and action that set the tone and standard for any group. It is important to see the role of leadership in making the right ethical choices according to an article by Donaldson (1988). The ethics of leadership, whether they are good or bad, positive or negative, affect the attitude of the group and help form the ethical choices and decisions of the group in the work environment. What is important is that leaders must realize that it must consider the impact of every action made. It has to consider whether the action is going to promote the good or the bad to contribute to his or her strength according to Burns (1978). The ethical or right thing to do is figure out which best serves the idea of best management practice. There should be little dispute that ethical behavior within a group depends on the ethical quality of its leadership. This is because all employees look to leadership for
“Ethics are defined as a set of principles of right conducts; the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession” ( Dictionary of the Human Language, 2000). Teachers are often put in situations that require more than just knowing the basic school rules. It is within these situations, that the ethical dilemmas occur. There is not always a right way to deal with many daily problems that face educators, but there are ways to handle situations that are better then others.
Before such things can be implemented, there is some specific ground work and strategies that must be done within the schools before situations or dealt with and handled. In this groundwork, principals are vital in the success of the program they implement in their schools (Ballard, Argus & Remley, 1999). They are the conductors of each category needed in a successful program. Principals must hold students and staff accountable for their roles in changing the climate of the school and they must allow for the time and manpower implementing a new program will take. Gil (2002, p. 73) explains that first a solid code of conduct must be in place and operating smoothly. These clearly stated rules are to be communicated to all students and staff what the expectation is for behavior and they must be “enforced without
Leadership is more than a skill, more than the knowledge of theories, and more than analytical faculties; it is the ability to act purposively and ethically as the situation requires on the basis of the knowledge of universals, experience, perception, and intuition (Toor and Ofori, 2009). Ethical leadership is considered as the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making (Brown, Trevino, Harrison, 2005). The strategies that I will utilize to develop my ethical leadership is establish a code of conduct, conduct compliance training, and model ethical behavior in my organization.
It takes a knowledge base and an innovated mind to succeed in a competitive society. Preparing to succeed starts in early education programs where students learn discipline, structure, and organization in a safe learning environment. A teacher's positive relationship, high expectations and confidence in students allow for students to learn in an environment that is conducive for learning. Varied student activities and instructional methods arranged for students to engage in, allows for individuality, growth and a quality education. School administrators have an important role in their community. Their professional behavior must be respected and their leadership must be accepted by those that they serve. They follow the National Association of Elementary School Principals and National Association of Secondary School Principals (NAESP/NASSP) ethical code of behavior. This ethical code helps to assist the profession in protecting those deserving its protection. It also helps to raise the confidence and conscience of administrators on behavioral issues. Fundamental ethical principles are always present to guide administrators in confronting, predicting or defining situations. The administrator serves in a public school. He/she is responsible for providing educational opportunities to all and displaying exemplary professional leadership. The motivational factor for the educational administrators is to do what is best for the student. This is important because students are the future of our country.