SMUMN Ethical Issues for Administrators-Session 1
- 1. EDS 740 Section OC
- 2. CRITERIA FOR A CORE VALUE Chosen: A value a person selects freely from alternatives after careful examination and with a clear understanding of the consequences of the selection. Prized: A value a person is happy with and is willing to publicly affirm. Acted Upon: A value a person affirms repeatedly through some life pattern. Core Value A value that is acted upon.
- 5. Values Acquisition Imprinting: (0-5 years) The child absorbs values through observing parents and other family members. Parents have the greatest influence over a child’s attitudes and beliefs. Modeling: (6-10 years) Parent’s influence is decreasing as the child is exposed to more experiences. Heroes become more important. The child tends to model behavior after that person the youngster sees as being the “ideal.” Socialization (early teen years) The peer group is the most important influence. The youngster begins to sort, define, and validate attitudes, beliefs, and standards into a values system. The independent person is beginning to emerge. Young Adults: The values system is tested against the “real world.” The result of this testing will be those core values and value indicators that will become the person’s values system. “Why” is asked a lot. Lock In: The person’s values system is pretty well locked in place at this stage. Values will not alter significantly unless there is a major emotional experience that has a high impact on the person. Source: Massey, M. (1979). The people puzzle. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co.
- 6. A young child hears about one boy who broke 15 cups trying to help his mother and another boy who broke only one cup trying to steal cookies; the young child thinks that the first boy did worse. (Piaget, 1932, p. 137). • Children 10-11 Fixed and Absolute-amount of damage/consequences • Older Children Relativist-it depends on what were the motives behind the action
- 7. In Europe, a woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to make. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I‘m going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's store to steal the drug-for his wife. Should the husband have done that? (Kohlberg, 1963, p. 19) W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of development. 118-136..Prentice-Hall. Retrieved May 27, 2006 from http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm
- 8. Stage 1-Obedience & Punishment Orientation • “Bad to steal because you will get punished” Stage 2-Individualism & Exchange • Reasoning-What is right for Hienz is OK • Punishment is only a risk • Heinz doesn’t have to steal the drug if he wants to marry someone younger and better looking • Heinz needs to steal to have someone at home to help with the children • It’s OK because the druggist would not make a fair deal • Heinz should steal because his wife may return the favor someday W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of development. 118-136..Prentice-Hall. Retrieved May 27, 2006 from http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm
- 9. Stage 3-Good Interpersonal Relationships • Love, empathy, trust, and concern for others • “It was really the druggist fault for not being fair” Stage 4-Maintaining the Social Order • Concerned with Society as a whole-laws, authority, keep social order • Like stage one, BUT understands WHY we have rules/laws to have a “good society”. W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of development. 118-136..Prentice-Hall. Retrieved May 27, 2006 from http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm
- 10. Stage 5-Social Contract & Individual Rights • “What is a good society?”—People freely work toward the benefit of all--life, liberty, and democratic process for changing or improving society-benefit maximization • Heinz’s wife’s life (or any life) is more important than property-this transcends other standards Stage 6-Universal Principles (theoretical stage) • Abe Lincoln, MLK and Mahatma Ghandi-The principles of justice require us to treat the claims of ALL people in an impartial manner, respecting the basic dignity of ALL people (UNIVERSAL)-The Golden Rule • Seek first to understand! • Heinz’s wife should be saved and druggist should understand this • Few folks use this consistently W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of development. 118-136..Prentice-Hall. Retrieved May 27, 2006 from http://faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm
- 11. Studies conducted on 72 boys • Rules and rights vs. interpersonal relationships (compassion and care) • Carol Gilligan: boys vs. girls How much do we really consider our core values in our reasoning? Or do we use intuition (gut feeling most of the time? Ethics? Listening to moral judgment is not good enough- must formulate our own position with thoughtful questioning and/or experiences
- 13. The “correct” decision or action is not clear and may violate one’s own conscience or an ethical principle or be harmful to others. The decision calls for a delicate balancing of complicated issues surrounding the rights and fair treatment or the harm and benefits to all. The “correct” decision is in conflict with the existing norms and values of an organization. The decision creates a conflict between the organization’s needs and individual’s personal values. The “correct” decision is clear, but the cost of acting on the decision seems unreasonable high to the individual, the group, or the organization. The situation is totally new and there are no existing norms and standards to guide the decision-making process.
- 14. 1931 Norman Maier at the University of Michigan wanted to explore how people solved problems. He developed the 2 cord experiment.
- 15. They see things through a different lens and will apply their own logic and perceptions they have used to create their own point of view in an attempt to change your point of view and perception.
- 18. Characteristics Seniors 1920-1939 Baby Boomers 1940-1959 Generation X 1960-1980 Millennials 1981-2006 Landmark Events •Depression •World War II •Civil Rights Act passed •First manned space flight •Vietnam War •Operation Desert Storm •Oklahoma bombing •Columbine shootings •Clinton scandal •9/11 Music •The Great Era of Radio •Big bands •Elvis •Punk •Disco •Grunge •Hip Hop •Boy bands •Rap TV Culture •Virtually nonexistent •Movies/Radio •"Ozzie & Harriet" •Leave it to Beaver •"The Brady Bunch" •Anything goes •Reality Shows •Home Theatres Cultural Memorabili a •Juke boxes •Fireside chats •TV dinners •Poodle skirts •Pet rocks •Platform shoes •Skateboards •Piercings •IPODS/MP3s Heroes •Franklin Roosevelt •Winston Churchill •Joe DiMaggio •Babe Ruth •Gandhi •Martin Luther King •John & Jacqueline Kennedy •John Glenn •Generally aren’t influenced by heroes •Their parents •Bill Gates •NYC Firefighters •Michael Jordan
- 19. Characteristic Seniors (1920-39) Baby Boomers (1940-59) Generation X (1960-80) Millennials (Generation “Next”) (1981-2006) Core Values •Dedication •Respect for authority •Adherence to rules •Optimism •Personal gratification •Health and wellness •Diversity •Balance •Fun •Techno-literacy •Diversity •Civic duty •Achievement •Sociability •Informality •Street smarts Work Ethic •Hard worker •Loyalty •Will do whatever is asked •Delayed reward •Team-oriented Overly sensitive to feedback Self-promoting Driven •Impatient Independent Process-averse Creative, cynical Multi-tasking, balanced •Determined People-oriented Optimistic Need for supervision & structure Job Expectations •Defined job duties •Input on projects •Job security •Recognition •Team projects •Advancement •opportunities •Meaningfulness •Equal power •"Hands-off" supervision •Specific job duties •Treated Respectfully •Teamwork •Flexibility with structure •Don’t often stay in one job •Need feedback Motivational Messages •"Your experience is valued and rewarded.“ •"It's valuable to all of us to hear what has and hasn't worked in the past." •"You're important to our success.“ •"We need you.“ •"Your contribution is unique and important to the organization." •"Do it your way.“ •"There aren't many rules here.“ •"We're not very corporate around here." •"You'll be working with other, creative people.“ •"You and your co- workers can turn this company around." From Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers and Nexters in Your Workplace by R. Zemke, C. Raines and R. Filipczak, published by WACOM Publishing in 2000.
- 20. CRITERIA FOR A CORE VALUE Chosen: A value a person selects freely from alternatives after careful examination and with a clear understanding of the consequences of the selection. Prized: A value a person is happy with and is willing to publicly affirm. Acted Upon: A value a person affirms repeatedly through some life pattern. Core Value A value that is acted upon.
- 21. What is important to us in a school?
- 22. Factors That Influence Decisions Interest of constituencies (e.g. stakeholders, community members, faculty, BOE, district administration) Competitive pressures (high stakes testing, co- curricular programs, common assessments) Public health and safety considerations Legal considerations Government regulations Peer or group pressures Social pressures Professional code of conduct The tension between the decision maker’s personal standards or values and the needs of the organization.
- 24. How things out to be… Vs. Right and wrong
- 25. We need a coherent view of our own role and our own authority and of how to deal with conflicting demands made upon us We need a coherent vision of the education we wish to provide and we ought to provide it. What are the norms of ethical decision making?
- 26. Break the law Do not tell the truth Deviate from moral rectitude Right vs. wrong = easy Right vs. right = hard
- 27. Could we be successful with the following: Be truthful Do not steal from our schools Not be racist or sexist Avoid conflicts of interest Make fair decisions These are important, but we need more to create school into a great educational community (the science vs. the art).
- 28. Decision Process Steps 1. Situation/Problem Definition 2. Solution/Decision Alternatives 3. Value-Based Criteria 4. Implementation 5. Evaluation/Reflection
- 29. What is the problem? What are the circumstances out of which the problem arose? What are the end results I want to receive? What is the right thing to do? What is the successful thing to do? What is your first inclination for course of action? What is the continuum of possible solutions? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each solution? Community Acceptability Test Does this solution conform to my school, community, district, professional code of conduct? Is it legal? Is it safe? Does it adhere to the values of the community? What would mother think if my decision shows up on the front page of the newspaper? Personal Value Test Does it adhere to my personal values? Can I sleep tonight? What ethical or moral principals are involved? (benefit maximization, equal respect, equal treatment, maximin principle) What is your decision?
- 30. DO SAY BE
- 31. DO NOTHING SAY NOTHING BE NOTHING
- 32. People are just begging to be told what to do. There are a lot of reasons for this; possibly, the biggest one is: "If you tell me what to do, the responsibility for the outcome is yours, not mine. I'm safe." When asked, resist.
- 33. “I find comfort in the fact that the longer I’m in politics the less nourishing popularity becomes, that a striving for power and rank and fame seems to betray a poverty of ambition, and that I am answerable mainly to the steady gaze of my own conscience.” Obama, B. (2006). The audacity of hope: Thoughts on reclaiming the American dream. Crown publishing group. p. 134.
- 34. Ethics in the News
- 36. At the public high school where I teach, a school sponsored student club, Sharing Our Spirit, staged a “Pro Life Day of Silent Solidarity” during school hours. Students wore red armbands and did not speak. The club’s faculty adviser sent an e-mail to the entire faculty, including this: “They will be standing on behalf of the one-third of their generation that have been innocent victims of abortion.” Was the students’ activity legitimate? The adviser’s? -SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.
- 37. 1. I understand what defines a value. 2. I understand what defines moral/ethical principles. 3. I understand how we develop our values. 4. I understand how our values shape our morals/ethical ethos. 5. I understand why it is important to understand our values in order to make sound moral/ethical decisions.