How do you define ethics?
I define ethics as a personal code that one lives their life by, a way of doing things. Merriam-Webster defines ethic as, “rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad”, and ethics would be the study of such things. Any good student of philosophy delineates ethics into the three categories of metaethics (where our ethical principles come from), normative ethics (how we arrive at moral standards that regulate right and wrong conduct), and applied ethics (examination of specific controversial issues).
The three of these definitions (mine, Merriam-Webster’s, and IEP’s) all define ethics. However, the definition of ethics isn’t what concerns me. What concerns me is the underlying root of ethics. It’s those words good and evil that I’m talking about here. Who decides what is good and what is evil. In some cultures murder is wrong, yet it is considered acceptable in others. Rape is deplorable to some cultures while others find the practice a part of the norm. When certain individuals are tried in an American court for behavior that is considered bad their defense is religious expression and practice. One of this week’s readings cites the “Golden Rule”, which is a part of Judeo-Christian ethics, which is globally accepted in today’s societies as acceptable belief. This is fine, but what if a person has an ethical stance in direct opposition to the Golden Rule; should we shun that person and their beliefs?
Why am I bringing these thoughts up? My agenda is to make people think; the same thing I do in class with my students. If someone is going to say that they believe something then they must be able to say why; to defend their beliefs. Being pushed about your beliefs will only make you stronger. When students are in an environment where they have to think then they will grow in their understandings.
In summation of our life all we have is our ethics. The decisions that we make, the words that pass over our lips, and actions that we enact are all a reflection of what we believe. Sometimes we need to drop the plumb bob into the well of our soul to see what comes up. It may be tough to deal with what comes up from the well, but you’ll be glad that you have dealt with it as you move forward. Your future teachers, staff, and students will receive the blessings.
Ethic. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic
Ethics, (n.d.). From Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/
(Kemerer, 2012, pp. p. 1-4)
What are the three important reasons why effective documentation is essential for all employees?
The short answer —
- Legal considerations
- Ethical considerations
- Political considerations
The less-short answer —
Legal –The administrator that is diligent to not be found “deliberately indifferent” serves themselves well on their own behalf as well as for their employees. Taking time to document behaviors (timelines, behaviors, meetings, informal and formal communication, etc.) shows good-faith efforts to arrive at truth. Administrators that use effective documentation techniques will enable you to stop wrongdoing of employees, and help shield you from lawsuits built around a lack of supervision or indifference.
Ethical –Employees need to be treated fairly (alerting them to deficiencies in performance, possible growth plan situations, constant feedback and assessment, keeping employees abreast of district policies, following all district policies) in all aspects of their job. Every employee that we will have under our leadership is going to be a human. And human beings are emotional creatures. At times we get our feelings hurt and act out of our emotion. An administrator that doesn’t act ethically with employees should be prepared for an amount of negative backlash in the event that an employee might face a negative employment situation. Fair treatment of employees should be an administrators first goal, followed by a secondary goal of supportive evidence that serves to protect the administrator and the district.
Political —Board of trustees are all elected officials. With this in mind it is important to execute the duties of any office (most especially administrative positions) with the utmost amount of care and proper ethical behavior. When negative actions are taken in a school the member of the board will be faced with tough questions at their jobs, churches, the local coffee shops, restaurants, and etc. When the board member knows that you, as an administrator, have the district’s policies in mind and serve the district’s interests with honor and integrity they are able to respond to any concerns with confidence. When a district employee is terminated, especially a high profile employee like the head football coach, band director, or spouse of a prominent community member, there will be some political fallout. People will come to the school, sign petitions, and flood the board room during meetings. Keeping an eye on the political considerations of the district will serve an administrator well.
(Kemerer, 2012)
In what ways do you think that your personal code of ethics may be tested in a school leadership position?
As stated above there are many possibilities for a varied array of negative situations as a school administrator. There are so many moral dilemmas that could face a school leader that it would be impossible to give attention to all of them. One case that comes to mind is something that happened at my campus this summer. During the summer break a teacher on the campus was upset about his class load and other responsibilities as a coach. He chose to wait until 46 days prior to the start of the semester to call the superintendent to complain. The campus principal and superintendent were at a conference out of town and the phone conversations didn’t go well. The superintendent suggested letting the teacher go, he was at the end of his first year in the district, and the principal chose to defy the superintendent and keep the teacher on board. In retrospect the entire coaching staff was now under the microscope of the superintendent due to the actions of one disgruntled employee. The principal was on edge due to a fear of losing her job in light of not following a directive from the superintendent. The teaching staff at the campus was upset with the teacher in question as he had said that he was the hardest working person in the district and deserved a lighter class load than other teachers. Other coaches also felt the backlash of the teaching staff from this action as people have a tendency to associate all of us as coaches together. In short, things were not fun for a while. In the end the principal earned the respect of many on the teaching staff (this is her second year in-district) for her defense of a teacher that she felt was very strong in the classroom (Algebra II teacher) and had just made an err in judgment (trying to hold administration hostage though use of social terrorism techniques and not seeing the larger picture of the campus and efforts of others). The superintendent has become a bit more lax in his watching of the coaching staff as the year has moved forward, depending on his feelings of a particular coach’s integrity and program control. The teacher may or may not be offered a contract for the next year, only time will tell. This is definitely an extreme example of ethics being tested.
How would your personal code of ethics guide your decision making as a school leader?
I am rather up front about my beliefs and ethics. What I believe is what guides my decision making process in all things. Having served as the Vice-Principal of a private school toward the beginning of my time in education I can honestly attest to the fact that my personal code of ethics will freely guide my actions. My motto is “Do the Right Thing!” I follow that motto in everything that I do. When a student makes a mistake I ask them what happened. At the end of their story I say, “Was that the right thing to do?” After they respond there is a perfect opportunity for us to discuss how we move forward from that point. One thing that has helped me immensely is the knowledge that forgiveness and consequences are mutually exclusive. I have no problem forgiving a student for a bad behavior, but they still have to deal with the consequences of their actions. This method seems to work with adults just the same.
