Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education ─ Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Complex Dilemmas

"A significant contribution by two of the most respected and thoughtful scholars in the field of educational ethics. Shapiro and Stelkovich provide the most coherent narrative to date On the significance of ethics for school leaders."---Joseph F. Murphy, Frank W. Mayborn Chair of Education and Associate Dean at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University

"The first edition of this reader friendly, accessible text quickly became a classic and a widely used resource for faculty and students. This edition builds on the strengths of the original and will continue to be an important resource for the field."---Gail Furman, Professor, Department of Educational Leadership, Washington State University

"This book is an incomparably instructive and approachable resource for prompting discourse around complex ethical dilemmas. A must read for all leaders of learning and learners of leadership who want our schools to be vibrant learning places."---Anthony H. Normore, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, California State University Dominguez Hills

The third edition of the best-selling text, Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education, continues to address the increasing interest in ethics and assists educational leaders with the complex dilemmas in today's challenging and diverse society. Through discussion and analysis of real-life moral dilemmas that educational leaders face in their schools and communities, authors Shapiro and Stefkovich demonstrate the application of the four ethical paradigms---the ethics of justice, care, critique, and profession. After an illustration of how the Multiple Ethical Paradigm approach may be applied to real dilemmas, the authors present a series of cases written by students and academics in the field representing the dilemmas faced by practicing educational leaders in urban, suburban, and rural settings in an era full of complexities and contradictions. Following each case are questions that call for thoughtful, complex thinking and help readers come to grips with their own ethical codes and apply them to practical situations.

Joan Poliner Shapiro is Professor of Educational Administration at Temple University and Co-Founder of the New DEEL.(Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership) movement.
Jacqueline A. Stefkovich is Professor of Education Law and Ethics at The Pennsylvania State University and Co-Director of the UCEA's D.J. Willower Center for the Study of Ethics and Leadership.