Creating the Ethical School: A Book of Case Studies

by Bongsoon Zubay, Jonas F. Soltis

Overview

Addressing the many ethical issues that arise daily in school, this volume is a hands-on guide for all K–12 practitioners, an excellent teaching tool for preparing future teachers, and an essential resource for anyone who wants to create a caring and supportive school environment.

“One of the best ethics primers for teachers and administrators that I have ever read.”
—From the Foreword by Robert J. Nash

“Should find a place in every school. Zubay and Soltis present a stunning variety of gritty and morally challenging cases fresh from the classroom that stimulate our ethical sense and challenge us to think anew. I recommend that all teachers read this book and discuss it with their colleagues.”
—Michael G. Thompson, coauthor of Best Friends, Worst Enemies and Raising Cain

“Captures the degree to which teachers, school administrators, parents, and students live in a world of minute-to-minute ethical choices. These are provocative, realistic case studies that will prompt energetic discussion.”
—Tyler C. Tingley, Principal, Phillips Exeter Academy

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807778333
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	09/13/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Bongsoon Zubay was Director of the State University Urban Teacher Education Center in New York City and Jonas F. Soltis is Teachers College, Columbia University’s William Heard Kilpatrick Professor of Philosophy and Education Emeritus and coauthor of The Ethics of Teaching and The Ethics of School Administration.

Table of Contents

	Preface and Acknowledgments	xi
	Foreword	xiii
1	Nurturing Ethical Consciousness in a School Community	1
	The Moral Nature of Education	3
	The School Head's Story	5
	Organization of the Case Studies Chapters	13
	Sharing Ideas About Aims	17
2	Teacher/Student Cases	21
	A New Teacher's Struggle	21
	The Case of the Taunted Loner	22
	"Gentleman's D"?	23
	Promises, Authority, and Student Lives	24
	Freeware	26
	Racism? Or Just Teasing?	27
	On Body Images	28
	Did She Cheat?	29
	A Violent Cheater	31
3	Teacher/Administrator Cases	35
	A Report Card Dilemma	35
	Unfounded Suspicions?	36
	Unwelcome Advances	38
	To Copy or Not to Copy?	39
	How to Deal with Violent Reactions	40
	Parental Pressure	41
	Religion in the Classroom?	43
	Falsely Accused?	44
	The Best Education Money Can Buy	46
	But Is It Plagiarism?	47
	Almost Competent	49
4	Teacher/Parent(s) Cases	55
	An Odd Parent-Teacher Conference	55
	Cultural Identity	56
	Whose Views Are They?	57
	An Inappropriate Parent	58
	Whose Rights Take Priority: The Individual's or the Group's?	59
	A Pushy Parent	61
	Too Close for Comfort?	63
5	Teacher/Teacher Cases	65
	A Colleague Problem	65
	Faculty Members at Odds	67
	Athletic Pressure	69
	A Rumored Affair	69
	A Bad Experience Observing a Colleague	70
	Too Personal	71
6	Parent(s)/Administrators Cases	75
	A Difficult Parental Request	75
	Should a School Promote a Preschooler?	77
	Medical Treatment and Schooling	78
	Misuse of School Information	78
	Anorexia and Responsibility	80
	How to Handle a Student's Insensitivity?	81
	The School as Parent	82
7	Heads/Trustees/School Cases	85
	Head and Trustee with Teacher in the Middle	85
	Evolving Computer Ethics	87
	Student Newspapers: Free Speech and Administrative Responsibility	90
	What Is This Stuff?	92
	A Mistrustful Trustee	94
	A Loyal Employee	97
	A Fairy Tale?	99
Appendix A	Student Understandings of Right and Wrong	101
	Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Lower School (Grades 1-4)	102
	Middle School (Grades 5-8)	104
	Upper School (Grades 9-12)	108
Appendix B	Berkeley Carroll School Ethical Standards	119
	Ethical Standards for Administrators	120
	Ethical Standards for the Parents of the School	120
	Ethical Standards for Faculty	120
	Ethical Standards for Lower-School Students	121
	Ethical Standards for Middle-School Students	121
	Ethical Standards for Upper-School Students	121
	Suggested Readings on Moral Theory and Ethics and Education	123
	Contributors of Ethical Cases	125
	About the Authors	127

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“One of the best ethics primers for teachers and administrators that I have ever read.”
—From the Foreword by Robert J. Nash

“Should find a place in every school. Zubay and Soltis present a stunning variety of gritty and morally challenging cases fresh from the classroom that stimulate our ethical sense and challenge us to think anew. I recommend that all teachers read this book and discuss it with their colleagues.”
—Michael G. Thompson, coauthor of “Best Friends, Worst Enemies” and “Raising Cain”

“Captures the degree to which teachers, school administrators, parents, and students live in a world of minute-to-minute ethical choices. These are provocative, realistic case studies that will prompt energetic discussion.”
—Tyler C. Tingley, Principal, Phillips Exeter Academy