Ethics Paper

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Western Governors University *

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D016

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Philosophy

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Personal Ethics Statement Alicia Frischmann College of Education, Western Governors University D016: Leadership Foundations and Ethics Dr. Bryant Robinson August 29, 2023

2 Personal Ethics Statement In this paper, I will create a personal ethics statement and discuss how it incorporates leadership values for an inclusive and equitable school community. I will also explain how my personal ethics statement and a professional code of ethics can serve as a guide for an aspiring school leader in navigating ethical dilemmas and making ethical decisions. Lastly, I will identify and discuss my personal biases. Personal Values I believe that every student is entitled to an inclusive and equitable environment that promotes learning and development. I believe that educational leaders should practice integrity, transparency, base decision making on student success, and maintain high standards for themselves and others. As an aspiring school leader, I believe in the following: 1. Be Transparent and Honest As a leader, I should be seen throughout my school, even showing up to after school activities. This will be sure to show staff, students, and parents that I am always available. This will influence school culture positively because it will set the foundation for building interpersonal relationships. Staff, students, and parents will see how dedicated I am as a principal and feel less anxious to come and speak with me. Transparency is to be made a priority. School leaders should also be honest. Honesty helps promote a healthy workplace. As a school leader, I shouldn’t make promises that I know that I can’t keep. However, I should practice integrity when speaking to staff and students and making decisions that will impact the school or the community. I believe that honesty will influence school culture by also strengthening interpersonal relationships.

3 2. Inclusion As an educational leader, it is my duty to make sure that everyone feels like they belong. A school is like a second home. This helps influence school community because diversity is celebrated. 3. Base Decision-Making Upon Student Success When making decisions, I shouldn’t base them off what will benefit me, but student success and achievement within my school. As a principal, I will make justified decisions, even when I am faced with challenges and difficult choices. I will be sure to demonstrate empathy, compassion, and fairness in all interactions. Leaders should discuss steps along the way and reasoning behind their decisions (Cavanaugh). I will discuss and explain the reasons for my decisions. This will help influence school culture because students and staff will know the reasoning behind decisions. I will explain everything step by step. 4. Communication Communication is so important within a school. As a principal, I need to make sure that I am communicating to my staff, students, and the community. This will help influence school culture because everyone will be in the loop. No one should be in the dark about what is happening within the school. 5. Maintain High Standards As a school leader, I would set the expectations for my staff. In order to remain effective and current, I will participate in professional development. I would also ask my staff to do the same. This will ensure that all staff is up to date on practices and instruction. These beliefs and values come from personal experiences. I strive to be as wonderful as my current assistant principal. She includes everyone in everything. She communicates with the

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4 entire staff. She is honest. If she says that she is going to do something, she does it. I believe that she is fair in her decision making. She chooses what she believes is best for our school and then discusses it with us. Most often, she asks for our input to help drive her decisions. I have a great relationship with her, and I am very comfortable talking about personal issues with her. Lastly, Rebore (2013) states that ethics are important not only because they provide a framework for decision-making, but also require reflection on values that are at the core of a given human enterprise. This statement also helped shape my ethics statement because as a school principal, I will need to continually reflect upon my values and what I want within a school. Ethical Obligations Ethical obligations for an educational leader are moral requirements to follow. They determine what an educational leader can and cannot do. As an educational leader, I am obligated to the following: 1. Equity and Inclusion Educational leaders should celebrate diversity. Everyone should be celebrated regardless of their background, abilities, or circumstances. I will model this to staff by hiring teachers of different backgrounds. I will also consider the diversity of my students-where they come from, and how it might affect their learning and success in school. I will model this to students and staff by inviting speakers of different backgrounds and circumstances to come address the students and staff. This will provide insight on why diversity should be celebrated. I will model this to families by showing interest in their beliefs and traditions. Integrity and Honesty Educational leaders should be honest. I think that it is important to make promises that we can’t keep. Also, as we’ve all heard before, honesty is the best policy. As a principal, I would

5 need to build trust among students, staff, and families. I will model this to students, staff, and families by building trust within my school community. I want staff, students, and parents to know that I am always available. I want others to feel comfortable coming to me. 2. Justified Decision Making Educational leaders should demonstrate empathy, compassion, and fairness in all interactions, even when faced with challenges and difficult choices. I will model this to staff by making sure that I thoroughly explain the reasoning behind my decisions. For example, if I were to inform my staff about implementing a new curriculum, I would explain why this change needs to happen and how it will benefit student achievement. I could model this to students by explaining how a decision about extending their lunch period by ten minutes would benefit them because it will allow them more time to eat so that they are well fed, energized and ready to learn. 3. Communication Educational leaders need to have good communication skills. I believe that open communication among the students, teachers, staff, and the community is a must. I will model this by checking in with students and staff. I could come into a classroom to provide support for a teacher and check in with students. I will model this for students by standing in the hallway and chat with students as they are passing by. I will model this with staff by having one on one discussion with staff about personal issues and helping them problem solve. I will model this with families by sending out a weekly newsletter explaining any upcoming events. 4. Interpersonal Relationships Educational leaders should build strong relationships within a school community. This can help enhance student success. I will model this to students and staff by making sure that I

6 get to know each staff member and each student by learning about their likes and dislikes. I will model this for parents and families by showing up to after school activities and sporting events. 5. Maintain High Standards Educational leaders should improve effectiveness by continuing professional development. The principal should also expect the same of his or her staff. I will model this to staff and families by participating in professional development days. This will ensure that I am bettering myself. I would also ask my staff to do the same so that they are up to date with practices and instruction. I will model this to students by believing I can do hard things. I can demonstrate that they shouldn’t give up because they come across something they find difficult. I can show them what it means to persevere and overcome any challenge. Fulfilling the five ethical obligations above would positively influence school culture. By having an inclusive and equitable school, students, staff, and families will understand that differences should be celebrated. By making justified decisions and communicating it to students, staff, and families will ensure that everyone understands the reasoning behind the decision and how it will benefit everyone within the school and community. By communicating with students, staff, and families, everyone will know what is happening within the school at any given moment. By creating and building interpersonal relationships with students, staff, and families, trust and compassion will be embedded into the school’s culture. Finally, by maintaining high standards, students, staff, and families will know that practices and instruction within the school will benefit student achievement. Personal Bias One potential personal bias I may have is that girls are better than boys academically. This is because girls mature faster than boys and I believe that girls take education more

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7 seriously, I know I did when I was in school. I tend to think that boys are only interested in school because of sports. However, this isn’t always the case. Not all girls like school, and not all boys enjoy playing sports. I will overcome these biases but remembering that not all boys like sports and not all girls are advanced academically. Scenario 2 In scenario 2, I was tasked with hiring a new teacher, as some had recently retired. The applicant was outstanding during the interview process, and I go on to recommend the applicant for an open position. The assistant superintendent calls me asks if the applicant would be wearing her traditional attire, a hijab and how students would feel about this piece of clothing, wondering if it would cause confusion. Lastly, I was asked how I would handle questions and concerns that might arise regarding this teacher’s religion and attire. One (1) of my values is that a school community should be inclusive and diverse. I would not turn away this employee because of her religious beliefs and attire. This would allow for students to meet and interact with someone who is different from them. This will teach students and possibly staff that we should respect our differences. A second (2) value is that educational leaders should base decision making based on student success. In the scenario, it states that this applicant had an exceptional ability to engage all students and her plans align with the appropriate standards. It also states that she is great at defusing situations and engages families. I feel like this is what I would want as an educational leader. I want to hire exceptional teachers to provide exceptional learning and development. Inclusiveness and diversity would result in a positive outcome in a school community because then differences are celebrated. As stated above, hiring this applicant could be seen as a learning experience. Students and staff will be more accepting of differences and understand that

8 differences should be celebrated. Basing decisions on student achievement will positively impact that school community because I hired this applicant based on her success at her previous school. One (1) obligation of an educational leader is that they should communicate with everyone within the school community. I will communicate with parents who may be concerned about the new hire. I will show empathy and compassion as I address their concerns, explaining that this applicant is the best choice for the job. I will explain that the strengths of this teacher will benefit student achievement. Another obligation (2) is that educational leaders should maintain high standards. I will expect the applicant to continue her current practices and instruction. If she was able to engage all students and align her instruction to the appropriate standards at her previous school, I would expect her to maintain that standard as an educator at my school. Communication and maintain high standards would result in a positive outcome for the school community. As for the communication aspect, I could be the mediator between the applicant and families. I can share the parents’ concerns with the new hire and problem solve with her on how these concerns can be addressed. By maintain high standards, I can be assured that the new applicant is continuing her great instruction and practices and using her strengths to benefit student learning and development. One potential bias that could arise is that parents may not want this teacher to teach their students because of her religious beliefs, her background, and where she comes from. One strategy for overcoming this bias could be meeting with parents. I would demonstrate empathy, compassion for their concerns, and explain why I believe the applicant was the best fit for the position. I will discuss the teacher’s strengths to help further my decision. This would hopefully let parents know that their children are in good hands.

9 Scenario 4 In scenario 4, I am the new principal at a school. A first-grade teacher that was hired for the upcoming school year suddenly fell ill and could not report to duty. I am tasked with finding a replacement with school starting in just a few weeks. After a board meeting, a senior member approached me and informed me that her niece just graduated with her degree and has applied for the open position. She congratulated me on my success-meaning the hiring of her niece for the open position. In this scenario, I would apply AASA’s Statement of Ethics. According to AASA’s Statement of Ethics for Educational Leaders (2007), The educational leader:  Makes the education and well-being of students the fundamental value of all decision making.  Fulfills all professional duties with honest and integrity and always act in a trustworthy and responsible manner.  Accepts academic degrees or professional certifications only from accredited institutions.  Commits to serving others above self. As the principal of this school, I would first make sure that the board member’s niece has a degree from an accredited university. This would ensure that she is prepared as an educator with the required trainings. This would benefit students because the teacher would know of the expectations that come with being an educator. Second, I wouldn’t just hire the board member’s niece just because she is related to a board member. All my decisions will be based on the well-being of the students in my school. I would hold an interview and discuss the candidate’s strengths, how she would engage students

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10 and families, and ask for references to provide any additional information. This would make sure that she is the best fit for the job. I would need to make sure that she is the type of educator that will benefit students and help them achieve high expectations. Lastly, I would act in a trustworthy and responsible manner, placing others needs above my own. I would have to explain to the board member that I cannot just hire her family member. I would explain that, as the principal, it is my due diligence to make sure that I am honest in all of my actions. As stated above, I would conduct an interview with the candidate, making sure that students in my school would benefit from having her as a teacher. The students’ education and well-being are two of the topmost priorities as an educational leader. The application of AASA’s professional code of conduct could lead to positive outcomes for students because I will only hire teachers with degrees from accredited institutions. This will make sure that my employees are prepared to enter the work force as an educator. I will also base all decision making for the well-being of my students. I will ensure that all decisions I make will positively impact students and their achievements. This professional code of conduct would positively influence teachers and students because I would make them my top priority. I will commit to serving others above myself to make sure that I have a high functioning, successful school. Finally, this code of conduct will benefit school culture because I will practice honesty and integrity, and act in a trustworthy and respectable manner. This could help build interpersonal relationships among my students, staff, and families. This will make sure that no one will ever be apprehensive to approach me for advice, help in solving problems or just chat about the day. Creating these interpersonal relationships could also improve student success.

11 References Carbaugh, B. G., Marzano, R. J., Toth, M. D., Houpt, K., & Sahadeo-Turner, T. (2015). School Leadership for Results: Shifting the Focus of Leader Evaluation. Learning Sciences International. (Pahe 95). Code of Ethics (2017). AASA’s Statement of Ethics for Educational Leaders. Retrieved from: https://www.aasa.org/about-aasa/Code-of-Ethics Rebore, Ronald W. (2013). The Relevance of Ethics to Educational Leadership.

Ethics Paper

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