Educational Leadership through Ethical Lenses Ethical decision-making is one of the key determinants of effective leaders. Ethics involves the types of morals or values society determines to be acceptable. Ethical theory is concerned with how these morals or values become translated into a set of societal rules or principles for individuals to follow, guiding how they perceive what is right and wrong and how they should think and behave. Ethics are the rules and guidelines that dictate the conduct and decisions of an educational leader. Ethics require that educators are continually aware of changing statutes, regulations, practices, and standards. The right-versus-right dilemma is when two core values come into conflict with each other. Badaracco (1992) characterizes right-versus-right dilemmas as “dirty-hands-problems, where educational leaders are forced to get their hands dirty by making tough choices between competing virtues such as honesty, fairness, respect, objectivity, and responsibility” (pp. 66-67). Christensen and Boneck (2011) state, “Most educational leaders and managers will encounter right-versus-right predicaments when occupational responsibilities conflict with personal values” (p. 55). Badaracco identifies four questions that can offer a framework of appraising methods in which right-versus-right situations can be resolved. These questions are included below: Badaraccos Enduring Questions Question 1 Which course of action will do the most good and the least harm? Question 2 Which alternative best serves others rights, including shareholders rights? Question 3 What plan can I live with, which is consistent with the basic values and commitments of my company? Question 4 Which course of action is feasible in the world as it is? To become and remain an ethical leader, one must truly understand the meaning of ethics and its consistent application within educational settings. In this week’s case study assignment, you will explore a more detailed definition of ethics to obtain a deeper understanding of ethical theory and the relationship between ethics and leadership. Assignment: This week, you learned about the development and definition of ethics and the role of ethical theory in determining appropriate character and conduct. Furthermore, you learned about the relationship between ethics and leadership that will help you become both an ethical and effective educational leader. Begin this weeks assignment by explaining what you believe to be the definition of ethics, the character traits, and the conduct of ethical educational leaders. You will then use this information and this weeks resources to complete the mini-case study below. Many, if not most, difficult decisions experienced by educational leaders do not involve a clearly defined or simple right or wrong choice or course of action to resolve a particular ethical dilemma. Review the ethical dilemma below. You will then use Badaracco’s (1992) four-question framework to analyze this ethical dilemma. Case Scenario: As a superintendent of a large, high-performing suburban school district with extensive parent involvement and support, you have recently learned a significant amount of your state funding will be reduced for the upcoming school year. Voters recently approved a school working tax referendum in your school community. You also secured a 3-year contract agreement with your local teacher union, resulting in minor pay increases. The state funding reductions will require you to eliminate a significant amount of money from the school district’s operating budget. A school district budget committee has revealed reduction proposals in teaching positions and supplemental services and programs for students. These proposed reductions involve: * A reduction of teaching positions resulting in enlarged student class sizes reaching or exceeding the union agreed-upon maximum limit; additional pay would be required for teachers whose student class sizes exceeded the union agreed-upon maximum, * The elimination of high school busing because this transportation service is not required by law in your state, * Parents are required to pay additional costs for their children to participate in all extra-curricular activities, including all school-sponsored athletic programs, and * The elimination of programs for gifted students because these services are not required by law in your state. Assignment Criteria: For this assignment, use Badaracco’s (1992) four-question framework to analyze ethical dilemmas. Be sure to address the following: * Recommend the best course of action that will do the least harm. * Explain which alternative best serves others’ rights, including shareholders’ rights. * Think of the plan you could live with that is consistent with your district’s basic values and commitments. * Determine which course of action is feasible in the world as it is. Be sure to defend your identification of an ethical plan to reduce your budget expenditures for your board of education for the upcoming school year, using your school district budget committee’s proposed reductions. Length: 5-7 pages, not including title and reference pages References: Include a minimum of 5 scholarly resources. The completed assignment should address all of the assignment requirements, exhibit evidence of concept knowledge, and demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the content presented in the course. The writing should integrate scholarly resources, reflect academic expectations and current APA standards, and adhere to Northcentral University’s Academic Integrity Policy.Show more
