The Ethical Educator

Abstract

The Ethical Educator: Pointers & Pitfalls for School Administrators is an accessible, nuts-and-bolts resource for education leaders at the school and district levels as they confront difficult ethical situations in their day-to-day work. The book features 100 real-life cases drawn from School Administrator magazine’s Ethical Educator column over the past ten years.

The dilemmas encompass numerous aspects of administration, from First Amendment and religious liberty issues to personnel and board relations. Every case provides an opportunity for the reader to consider how they might handle a similar situation and to reflect on the perspectives of experienced administrators who explain how they would address the dilemma. Each chapter begins with a down-to-earth introduction by a nationally recognized school district attorney, who touches on relevant legal parameters and case law.

Making ethical decisions tests us as administrators, for those decisions set precedents that shape how others perceive our ethical judgment and, in turn, the ethical identity of the school or district. The Ethical Educator: Pointers & Pitfalls for School Administrators will help the reader become a more effective education administrator, a more courageous leader of a school organization, and simply a human being with a greater sense of ethical alignment and purpose.