Decisions are a constant in administration. Principals and school leaders alike are faced with decisions all day every day. Decisions that not only shape and mold the school culture and climate, but the shape they students that attend our schools and their families. It’s critical that school leaders are aware of the ethical ramifications of the decisions they make and are cognoscente of the moral and ethical implications of their decisions. Educational leaders are not only leaders of schools, but leaders in the community. It’s critical that principals and school leaders analyze dilemmas utilizing ethical leadership theories and social justice constructs to ascertain the best course of action. I believe that these are skills that need to be practiced and nurtured. Educators need to exercise this …show more content…
The Ethics of Justice deals with moral choices in respect to the rights of the people involved and what they feel the solution should/could be. Also, a solution chosen through this lens, seems to damage the least number of people.
The Ethic of Critique is about the barriers to freedom and fairness. When schools or society leave out or unfairly benefit one group of people more than others the Ethics of Critique is often involved. The Ethic of Critique challenges the status quo. This lens forces administrators with rethink, redefine, and reframe ideas and the cultural norms that have been simply accepted thus far.
The Ethics of Professionalism constantly question equality for the needs of all students. School leader must consider professional codes and personal ethical principles as well as their standards of professionalism. This lens is all in an attempt to create a dynamic model that places the best interest of the students in the forefront! It’s critical that educators, school leaders and/or administrators refer to these 4 paradigms to make the best decision
Americans have embraced debate since before we were a country. The idea that we would provide reasoned support for any position that we took is what made us different from the English king. Our love of debate came from the old country, and embedded itself in our culture as a defining value. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that the affinity for debate is still strong, and finds itself as a regular feature of the mainstream media. However, if Deborah Tannen of the New York Times is correct, our understanding of what it means to argue may be very different from what it once was; a “culture of critique” has developed within our media, and it relies on the exclusive opposition of two conflicting positions (Tannen). In her 1994 editorial, titled “The Triumph of the Yell”, Tannen claims that journalists, politicians and academics treat public discourse as an argument. Furthermore, she attempts to persuade her readers that this posturing of argument as a conflict leads to a battle, not a debate, and that we would be able to communicate the truth if this culture were not interfering. This paper will discuss the rhetorical strategies that Tannen utilizes, outline the support given in her editorial, and why her argument is less convincing than it should be.
One of the first steps in of professionalism is dress; I make sure I am always dressed both professionally and comfortably for our classroom setting. For example if I know we are going to the Playscape, I wear either closed toed tennis or water shoes so I can get down and dirty and interacting with the children, really exploring the landscape. If I am wearing a dress I am conscious of how I sit or even go at step further and wear leggings underneath just so I don’t have to be worried. Another aspect of professionalism in the classroom is language. I always use appropriate language when speaking to the children, parents and my coworkers. Confidentiality is also a part of professionalism. Whenever I am taking notes or speaking of a child I am sure to keep it a confidential, I do not use names and am sure to only keep the information between the teaching team and I.
Leading organizations of school administrators offer educators various opportunities to encourage educators to become leaders. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has mandated that leaders be better prepared for the task of providing quality education to all. NCLB “… is forcing all educational stakeholders to face the weakness of contemporary school leadership and is making it impossible to ignore the need for higher quality principals” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). It is believed that all educators can be and are leaders in their own right. A leader is a visionary and has the ability to inspire others to aspire to greatness. Of the numerous opportunities that are offered, those that are most beneficial include but are not limited to leadership training programs, professional development, and creating shared leadership opportunities for teachers to become leaders. The systems “…that produce our nation’s principals are complex and interrelated – and governed by the states. Each state establishes licensing, certification and re-certification” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). States use the ISLLC standards “…as the framework for preparation programs and in service professional development of school superintendents, principals, and other leaders” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.3).
The occupations that I have chosen to analyze using the three elements for this assignment are paraprofessional, what I am currently, and a teacher, what I am going to college to become. Teachers and paraprofessionals work side by side, collaborate, plan, and share many of the same experiences. However, paraprofessionals are often not treated as equals and has created some ethical judgement regarding treatment of the paraprofessionals from other teachers and administrators in the business of education. I want to use this assignment as an opportunity to distinguish the true professional using the elements designed for this course.
Kraft, M. (2007). Toward a school-wide model of teaching for social justice: An examination of the best practices of two small public schools. Equity & Excellence in Education, 40, 77–86.
...1). Leadership and Ethics. In Working Through Ethics in Education and Leadership (pp. 9-20). SensePublishers.
Within the Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, I have been able to find several prevalent moral issues to discuss. Of these, I found the following five selections to be the most important issues to be discu...
The Code of Ethic for the Education Profession does not just involve the schools staff with its student but with everyone that is involved with the school. A quote from the first code “educator values the worth and dignity of every person” (1), to be an educator one has to keep their colleges, boss, parents, student and community in mind. To be in the education profession one is signing up to be a trustworthy, knowledgeable, devoted, and understanding individual. They must guarantee equal opportunities for everyone. Their primary concern is to their students learning and potential. One has to “sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct” (1).
School administrators are important in setting the path for a successful school (Glickman, et al., 2014). The principals could play a dynamic leadership depending on how they exercise their beliefs of the organizational and social environment (McNair, 2011). The principals are the primary facilitators for developing the foundations in learning that will last, to manage the student’s performance at schools, and seeking the improvement at school that will cause great impacts in school‘s education (Gordon,1989). In the recent years in the U.S., education has change in a more cultural diversity population, it is imperative that school supervisors, are trained to encounter this cultural issues, but also assisting others with the opportunities to develop appropriate abilities to deal with different cultures (Glickman, et al., 2014).
Stories by school leaders in school context can reveal rich contextual information (Witherell, 1991) on moral decisions that lead toward equitable practices. In fact, personal narratives can reveal how research participants in morally complex settings—like schools—are social beings who are actively engaged in reshaping unethical “norms.” This paper aims to enhance and generate a new understanding of leadership. Also,
Learning by critical reflection creates new understandings by making conscious the social, political, professional, economic, and ethical assumptions constraining or supporting one’s action in a specific context (Ecclestone 1996; Mackintosh 1998). Critical reflection’s appeal as an adult learning strategy lies in the claim of intellectual growth and improvement in one’s ability to see the need for and effect personal and system change. Reflection can be a learning tool for directing and informing practice, choosing among alternatives in a practice setting, or transforming and reconstructing the social environment (Williamson 1997). Can critical reflection be taught in a classroom? Does the new knowledge created foster change? This Myths and Realities investigates the extent to which critical reflection can be taught to adult learners.
Professionalism in the workplace in many professions can be simplified into general categories such as neat appearance, interaction with clients, punctuality, general subject knowledge, and likability. In nursing, professionalism encompasses a much more broad and inclusive set of criteria than any other profession. Nurses specifically are held to a higher standard in nearly every part of their job. Nurses are not only expected to uphold what it seen as professional in the aforementioned categories, but they are also expected to promote health, wellbeing, and advocate for patients, but also continually provide the highest standard of care, demonstrate exemplary subject and procedural knowledge, and abide by the Code of ethics set forth by the American Nurses Association. This Code of Ethics includes the complex moral and ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, fidelity, honesty, and integrity.
The controllers must also have invested in the success and welfare of the students, the educators, and communities. The school boards and teachers’ unions are the best suited to make important decisions related to the leadership, operation, academics, staffing, improvement, and teaching. The local school committees and school boards understand the education and stakeholders and can best make the decisions and implement them. The individuals are also closest to the parents, teachers, students, and most of the times live in the school community (Horn, 2002).
Additional expected qualities that create the essentials of professionalism in relation to teaching are a high level of cognitive skills and social capabilities together with experienced personal qualities as stated by Marsh (2008) which include sensitivity, compassion, reflective and innovative thinking and commitment and dedication to the job. This support to facilitate such desired moral qualities as respect, caring, integrity, diligence and open communication as outlined by Groundwater-Smith (2009), the relationship of which is reinforced by Whitton (2009 p.47) in defining professionalism in teaching as being “…dependant of correct standards with the right conduct or practice”.
As mentioned before, leadership styles take an important role in running a school. Unfortunately, many principals have not yet defined their leadership style and struggle to administrate their school. They are responsible not only of teachers and students, but of every employee in the school. They have the power to control all the resources available to improve and meet academic goals. Despite their power, principals need to identify appropriate leadership styles to succeed as