Resolving Ethical Issues at School

1 Issues Education, Spring 2013. Benninga 77. Resolving Ethical Issues at School Jacques S. Benninga California State University, Fresno Introduction Many incidents in schools present Ethical dilemmas for educators. For example, a colleague of a fifth grade teacher overhears that teacher's students' talking about how they received inappropriate assistance from the teacher on an end-of-year standardized test. Should she report her colleague, confront her, or ignore what she overheard? Perhaps a School board member wants his child placed with a particularly well-respected teacher in an already crowded classroom. Should the classroom teacher acquiesce and give preference to the child if she knows that the principal is under pressure from that powerful parent?

2 Or, let's say, the class clown does not listen to instructions, and his teacher, in frustration, constructs a strategy to embarrass him in front of the class. Such examples are not unusual and may occur at any School . Responses to such incidents deserve consideration. What should be the teacher's professional duty toward her students and their parents? How do teachers come to be aware of their professional obligations? Ethically charged situations such as these are rarely discussed Jacques S. Benninga is chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and director of the Bonner Center for Character Education and Citizenship in the Kremen School of Education and Human De- velopment at California State University, Fresno.

3 His e-mail address is Volume 22, Number 1, Spring 2013. 78 Resolving Ethical Issues at School openly in professional group settings such as teacher meetings. Although teachers may complain or gossip privately about pushy parents, unruly students, or perceived injustices in their School environment, public air- ings of professionally Ethical concerns rarely find their way into teacher preparation programs, School faculty meetings, or inservice development sessions. Nevertheless, such Issues cry out for discussion and deserve to be addressed head-on. One common dilemma faced by many teachers, and probably the most frequent Ethical dilemma in any workplace, is the problem of balancing professional obligations with private, family matters.

4 Consider the predica- ment of Callie Smith, a third-year teacher with a second grade class. Callie Smith was a newly tenured, pregnant teacher with a troubled marriage. She was, however, determined to keep her family relationship intact and left School at 3:30 each day to spend as much time as possible with her unemployed husband and their three-year old son. It was generally possible for Callie to leave at this time because her class was composed mainly of cooperative and attentive seven-year-old children. But Sarah was an exception. Sarah was not disruptive, but she was inattentive and slow in getting her work done. She had difficulty writing and misspelled more words than did the other children.

5 She did not seem to understand directions and had difficulty expressing herself. Although she caused no problems, she was a slow learner. Callie was concerned enough to check out Sarah's file. There were no comments in her permanent file in regard to Sarah's learning ability and no record of test scores. Feeling a bit uneasy about Sarah, Callie took an opportunity to speak with Mrs. Brass, a more experienced fifth grade teacher. Mrs. Brass was a good teacher and was known as the teachers' older sister.. Many teachers liked her, and she liked when the younger teachers came to her for advice. Callie told Mrs. Brass about her pressures at home, involving her children and her husband.

6 She cried. Callie also described Sarah's behavior and asked Mrs. Brass what she should do. Mrs. Brass understood Callie's pressures and was a sympathetic and reassuring listener. She had had her own relationship problems as well. With regard to Sarah, she suggested that Callie put her on the list for discussion at an upcoming Student Study Team (SST). She reminded Callie that the list was long and that the Team might not even get to Sarah this semester. Callie was pleased to have had someone so nice and understanding as Mrs. Brass with whom to talk. They hugged. She was relieved that she did not have to bear her pressures alone and that she had a friend at School . Later that night, Callie thought about the conversation with Mrs.

7 Brass and about Sarah. She knew enough about the process of referring students for testing in anticipation of a SST meeting not to immediately add Sarah's name to the list. Sarah really doesn't pose any problems Issues in Teacher Education Jacques S. Benninga 79. in class, thought Callie. If I put her name on the SST list, I'll have to plan a series of time-consuming modifications and then document all of them. Uggh! I've got so much to do already. She knew that she would have to prepare a written report about Sarah and then meet with the psychologist, the principal, and Sarah's parents. Then there might be additional meetings, and the end result most likely would be that Sarah would remain in her class, anyway.

8 I don't need this, she thought. Several weeks later, Mrs. Brass asked, Are you doing better, Callie? I hope so. By the way I didn't see Sarah's name on the SST agenda.. Callie replied, You're right about Sarah. But I didn't turn in her name to the SST because I'm working with her individually in class. I'm keep- ing my eye on her. I think she'll come around and maybe even blossom. She's so sweet.. This scenario about teacher Callie raises a series of significant ques- tions: Is there something about Sarah's classroom performance that should trigger a response? If so, has Callie understood that a professional educator has a responsibility to place children first and that she cannot unreasonably deny them access to needed services or benefits?

9 Does she understand that, as a professional educator, she is obligated to make a reasonable effort to protect her student from conditions harmful to learning? Is she aware that she has a responsibility for the welfare of her stu- dents, as well as for her own family, and that she must weigh personal and professional Issues in such a way so as not to violate her profes- sional obligations to students? How do we learn to reflect on such Issues ? Is it just self-evident that good people naturally understand how to behave properly in all con- texts? Or might there be professional considerations that Callie should have understood in her role as a professional, but did not? Might some professional development related to the ethics of teaching have helped her to clarify her professional perspectives?

10 Considering the Ethical in Teaching There is much to be gained from discussing cases such as Callie's, and it is unfortunate that more attention has not been focused on such discussions in faculty meetings and preservice preparation programs. Seasoned educators have an interest in the moral nature of teachers'. attitudes and behaviors and are able to notice patterns and organize information in ways that new teachers cannot (Bransford, Brown, &. Cocking, 2000). Discussing relevant Ethical cases deepens their under- Volume 22, Number 1, Spring 2013. 80 Resolving Ethical Issues at School standing and their sense of professionalism. Likewise, novice teachers can learn from such collegial discussions to notice indicative behaviors and thereby become more sensitive to Ethical points of view.