The Ethical Educator: Pointers and Pitfalls for School Administrators

The Ethical Educator: Pointers & Pitfalls for School Administrators is an accessible, nuts-and-bolts resource for education leaders at the school and district levels as they confront difficult ethical situations in their day-to-day work. The book features 100 real-life cases drawn from School Administrator magazine’s Ethical Educator column over the past ten years.

The dilemmas encompass numerous aspects of administration, from First Amendment and religious liberty issues to personnel and board relations. Every case provides an opportunity for the reader to consider how they might handle a similar situation and to reflect on the perspectives of experienced administrators who explain how they would address the dilemma. Each chapter begins with a down-to-earth introduction by a nationally recognized school district attorney, who touches on relevant legal parameters and case law.

Making ethical decisions tests us as administrators, for those decisions set precedents that shape how others perceive our ethical judgment and, in turn, the ethical identity of the school or district. The Ethical Educator: Pointers & Pitfalls for School Administrators will help the reader become a more effective education administrator, a more courageous leader of a school organization, and simply a human being with a greater sense of ethical alignment and purpose.

Sheldon Berman, Ed.D., served as superintendent of four districts in three states spanning 28 school years, receiving the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year Award and AASA’s Distinguished Service Award. He has contributed guidance on administrative ethics through more than a decade of School Administrator Ethical Educator columns and has authored two books and numerous book chapters, articles, policy reports, and op eds on educational issues and innovations.

David Rubin, Esq., represents public school districts throughout New Jersey, is Past Chair of the NSBA Council of School Attorneys, and is a regular contributor to School Administrator’s Legal Brief column. He has litigated numerous precedent-setting cases generating over 50 published judicial decisions in state and federal court, and is a nationally-known author and speaker in the field of education law.

Joyce A. Barnes, Ed.S., served more than 20 years as an administrator and program developer for special and general education in the public schools. She is currently an independent writer and editor for education-related nonprofit organizations at the national level.