Ethical Dilemmas In High School

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Pages: 8

I have only been an elementary school principal for short period of time. In the beginning of my career I made very snap decisions that seemed like “quick wins”. I did not think through all me decisions and I didn’t always take the time to review all the options. However, during my short tenure as a building leader, I have begun to use the four ethical viewpoints to guide me through the decision-making process. The first ethical dilemma I was faced with was one I’m sure many building leaders have been faced with. I had a set of parents; both teachers in the district and have lived in our small town their entire lives. They were a couple since middle school and were homecoming king and queen many years ago. To say the least, they have …show more content…
The ethical dilemma that I’d like to critically examine is one that is still very much in the forefront and all over social media. The incident happened in late October and still gaining momentum. Students at our high school were being awarded for academic achievements. These achievements and the criteria to receive them are outlined in the student handbook and made known publicly to all.
The following is an excerpt from the Marysville High School Student Handbook outlining the necessary requirements to be eligible for academic awards.
“ACADEMIC AWARDS PROGRAM: The intention of the Academic Awards program is to honor and reward students who have demonstrated exemplary scholarship during the school year. The Counseling Department will be responsible for establishing who has met the requirements for the award and maintaining the display case.
A. To be eligible, students must:
1. Maintain a 3.5 grade point average in all classes, for the year.
2. Be enrolled in regular or honor
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With that I do believe that an additional Academic Achievement Award could be added. In the same evening, at the same awards ceremony you could honor anyone receiving a 3.5 or above and receive Special Education services. This way ALL hard-working students can be recognized. This is how I feel at this time in my career. I am aware that these decisions are subject to change.
I do believe that with time and experience, my opions, reactions and judgements are subject to change. To be a highly effective leader I believe you must have a well-developed ethical code. This is not to say that experience will not adjust your code. Even if experience and time changes your view on certain topics, your methodology should be the same. I believe that how you approach a situation should remain similar in an effort to remain consistent over time.
It’s important to approach each situation or issue the same and treat your position or decision as a cycle. Meaning you should constantly be reevaluating, recalculating and reexamining