The Ethical Line

10 Leadership Strategies for Effective Decision Making
First Edition
Toni Osborn Faddis - San Diego State University, USA
The Ethical Line
May 2019 | 168 pages | Corwin
Create Flyer

Purchase

eBook
ISBN: 9781544337913
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781544337883
Available from January 0001

Description

Be the leader your school community needs

The responsibilities of school leaders are increasingly complex. In this book, you will find a problem-solving model to help you think through morally complex situations. These steps will enable you to arrive at innovative solutions that are ethical, logical, culturally sensitive, and in the best interests of students. 

Packed with real-life vignettes, mental exercises, reflections, checklists, and other templates, these strategies will help you

  • Understand how ethical standards and core values drive your leadership choices
  • Approach problems through a lens of equity and care for the students entrusted to you
  • Recognize when urgent action is called for and when it’s better to slow down in order to thoroughly consider your actions and the potential consequences of those actions

As a leader, you face difficult challenges every day. This book will help ensure that the decisions you make are right for your students—and for the whole community.

 

Contents

Foreword by Douglas Fisher

Foreword by Douglas Fisher

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

  • Introduction
  • The Ethical Line
  • Temptations Lurk Everywhere
  • Tough Choices
  • How This Book Can Help
  • Features You Will Find
  • Chapter 1: Know Thyself
  • Strategy #1: Identify and Model Your Core Values
  • The New Normal
  • Your Ethical Line
  • Right vs. Right Situations
  • When Moral Compasses Falter
  • Strategy #2: Be Curiously Introspective
  • Find Kindred Spirits
  • Practice Self-Care
  • Express Gratitude
  • Build Resilience
  • Take a Cognitive Time-Out
  • Pause to Regroup
  • Calm Mental Chatter
  • Dare to Imagine
  • Chapter 2: Examine Your Community’s Values
  • Strategy #3: Listen Generously
  • Characteristics of Outstanding Listeners
  • Practice Empathy
  • Strategy #4: Create an Inclusive School Climate
  • Promote Emotional Well-Being
  • Engender Teamwork
  • Facilitate Collaborative Leadership
  • Recognize the Signs of an Unhealthy School Climate
  • Stimulate a Healthy School Climate
  • Foster Collective Efficacy
  • Strategy #5: Discover Your Community’s Hopes and Dreams
  • Explore Community Assets and Examine Your Leadership Privilege
  • Take the Pulse of Your Community Regularly
  • Empathic Interviewing
  • Strategy #6: Unify Around a Collective Vision
  • Which Values Guide Your Organization?
  • Making Sense of Norms and Codes of Conduct
  • Study Colleagues’ Behavior
  • Chapter 3: Adhere to Ethical and Legal Parameters
  • Professional Standards for Educational Leaders
  • Strategy #7: Consider Moral and Legal Consequences of Decisions
  • PSEL Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms
  • Lead With Moral Courage
  • A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions
  • The Seven Steps of Ethical Decision Making
  • Strategy #8: Ensure Equitable Processes and Outcomes
  • PSEL Standard 3: Advocate for All
  • Summary
  • Chapter 4: Promote an Ethical School Culture
  • Strategy #9: Walk the Talk
  • Be an Architect of Equity
  • Model Innovation and Empathy
  • Provide Clear Rationale for Decisions
  • Characteristics of Constructive Dialogue
  • Strategy #10: Become a Strategic Influencer
  • Defining Moments
  • Mental Preparation
  • Facilitate Win–Win Situations
  • Never Stop Learning and Growing

Conclusion

  • Implementation Steps

References

References

Index

Index

Description

Be the leader your school community needs

The responsibilities of school leaders are increasingly complex. In this book, you will find a problem-solving model to help you think through morally complex situations. These steps will enable you to arrive at innovative solutions that are ethical, logical, culturally sensitive, and in the best interests of students. 

Packed with real-life vignettes, mental exercises, reflections, checklists, and other templates, these strategies will help you

  • Understand how ethical standards and core values drive your leadership choices
  • Approach problems through a lens of equity and care for the students entrusted to you
  • Recognize when urgent action is called for and when it’s better to slow down in order to thoroughly consider your actions and the potential consequences of those actions

As a leader, you face difficult challenges every day. This book will help ensure that the decisions you make are right for your students—and for the whole community.

 

Contents

Foreword by Douglas Fisher

Foreword by Douglas Fisher

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

  • Introduction
  • The Ethical Line
  • Temptations Lurk Everywhere
  • Tough Choices
  • How This Book Can Help
  • Features You Will Find
  • Chapter 1: Know Thyself
  • Strategy #1: Identify and Model Your Core Values
  • The New Normal
  • Your Ethical Line
  • Right vs. Right Situations
  • When Moral Compasses Falter
  • Strategy #2: Be Curiously Introspective
  • Find Kindred Spirits
  • Practice Self-Care
  • Express Gratitude
  • Build Resilience
  • Take a Cognitive Time-Out
  • Pause to Regroup
  • Calm Mental Chatter
  • Dare to Imagine
  • Chapter 2: Examine Your Community’s Values
  • Strategy #3: Listen Generously
  • Characteristics of Outstanding Listeners
  • Practice Empathy
  • Strategy #4: Create an Inclusive School Climate
  • Promote Emotional Well-Being
  • Engender Teamwork
  • Facilitate Collaborative Leadership
  • Recognize the Signs of an Unhealthy School Climate
  • Stimulate a Healthy School Climate
  • Foster Collective Efficacy
  • Strategy #5: Discover Your Community’s Hopes and Dreams
  • Explore Community Assets and Examine Your Leadership Privilege
  • Take the Pulse of Your Community Regularly
  • Empathic Interviewing
  • Strategy #6: Unify Around a Collective Vision
  • Which Values Guide Your Organization?
  • Making Sense of Norms and Codes of Conduct
  • Study Colleagues’ Behavior
  • Chapter 3: Adhere to Ethical and Legal Parameters
  • Professional Standards for Educational Leaders
  • Strategy #7: Consider Moral and Legal Consequences of Decisions
  • PSEL Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms
  • Lead With Moral Courage
  • A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions
  • The Seven Steps of Ethical Decision Making
  • Strategy #8: Ensure Equitable Processes and Outcomes
  • PSEL Standard 3: Advocate for All
  • Summary
  • Chapter 4: Promote an Ethical School Culture
  • Strategy #9: Walk the Talk
  • Be an Architect of Equity
  • Model Innovation and Empathy
  • Provide Clear Rationale for Decisions
  • Characteristics of Constructive Dialogue
  • Strategy #10: Become a Strategic Influencer
  • Defining Moments
  • Mental Preparation
  • Facilitate Win–Win Situations
  • Never Stop Learning and Growing

Conclusion

  • Implementation Steps

References

References

Index

Index

SAGE Publishing Logo

The Ethical Line

10 Leadership Strategies for Effective Decision Making


May 2019 | 168 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781544337883 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781544337913 $35.00

Be the leader your school community needs

The responsibilities of school leaders are increasingly complex. In this book, you will find a problem-solving model to help you think through morally complex situations. These steps will enable you to arrive at innovative solutions that are ethical, logical, culturally sensitive, and in the best interests of students. 

Packed with real-life vignettes, mental exercises, reflections, checklists, and other templates, these strategies will help you

  • Understand how ethical standards and core values drive your leadership choices
  • Approach problems through a lens of equity and care for the students entrusted to you
  • Recognize when urgent action is called for and when it’s better to slow down in order to thoroughly consider your actions and the potential consequences of those actions

As a leader, you face difficult challenges every day. This book will help ensure that the decisions you make are right for your students—and for the whole community.

 

Table Of Contents:

  • Foreword by Douglas Fisher
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Introduction
  • The Ethical Line
  • Temptations Lurk Everywhere
  • Tough Choices
  • How This Book Can Help
  • Features You Will Find
  • Chapter 1: Know Thyself
  • Strategy #1: Identify and Model Your Core Values
  • The New Normal
  • Your Ethical Line
  • Right vs. Right Situations
  • When Moral Compasses Falter
  • Strategy #2: Be Curiously Introspective
  • Find Kindred Spirits
  • Practice Self-Care
  • Express Gratitude
  • Build Resilience
  • Take a Cognitive Time-Out
  • Pause to Regroup
  • Calm Mental Chatter
  • Dare to Imagine
  • Chapter 2: Examine Your Community’s Values
  • Strategy #3: Listen Generously
  • Characteristics of Outstanding Listeners
  • Practice Empathy
  • Strategy #4: Create an Inclusive School Climate
  • Promote Emotional Well-Being
  • Engender Teamwork
  • Facilitate Collaborative Leadership
  • Recognize the Signs of an Unhealthy School Climate
  • Stimulate a Healthy School Climate
  • Foster Collective Efficacy
  • Strategy #5: Discover Your Community’s Hopes and Dreams
  • Explore Community Assets and Examine Your Leadership Privilege
  • Take the Pulse of Your Community Regularly
  • Empathic Interviewing
  • Strategy #6: Unify Around a Collective Vision
  • Which Values Guide Your Organization?
  • Making Sense of Norms and Codes of Conduct
  • Study Colleagues’ Behavior
  • Chapter 3: Adhere to Ethical and Legal Parameters
  • Professional Standards for Educational Leaders
  • Strategy #7: Consider Moral and Legal Consequences of Decisions
  • PSEL Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms
  • Lead With Moral Courage
  • A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions
  • The Seven Steps of Ethical Decision Making
  • Strategy #8: Ensure Equitable Processes and Outcomes
  • PSEL Standard 3: Advocate for All
  • Summary
  • Chapter 4: Promote an Ethical School Culture
  • Strategy #9: Walk the Talk
  • Be an Architect of Equity
  • Model Innovation and Empathy
  • Provide Clear Rationale for Decisions
  • Characteristics of Constructive Dialogue
  • Strategy #10: Become a Strategic Influencer
  • Defining Moments
  • Mental Preparation
  • Facilitate Win–Win Situations
  • Never Stop Learning and Growing
  • Conclusion
  • Implementation Steps
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

An interesting text tackling ethical issues in education.
Dr Louise Campbell, School of Education & Social Work, Dundee University
This is a must read for any school leader. We face ethical decisions every day. This book provides practical and realistic tools to help every leader who is faced with challenging situations and decisions throughout their school year. The author does a superb job of aligning the leaders heart, head, and ethics in the decision-making process of school leaders. The students and staff reap the benefits from a leader inspired by this book.
Holly Leach, Superintendent, Everett, WA, Holly Leach, Superintendent, Everett, WA
This book provides useful strategies and structures, drawn from the field, to assist leaders at all levels better understand the complexities if ethical leadership.
Ray Boyd, Principal; Beechboro, Western Australia, Ray Boyd, Principal; Beechboro, Western Australia
“The daily decisions of school leaders are shaped by a set of personal and professional ethics that influence every interaction we have with students, colleagues, and families. Toni Faddis provides clear and coherent guidelines for helping leaders locate and adhere to a set of ethical standards, and interrogate one’s own biases. The outcome is an assurance that all decisions, large and small, are grounded in an ethical frame.”
Nancy Frey, San Diego State University
“An innovative and thoughtful approach to addressing real-life ethical concerns of educational practitioners. With its 10 leadership strategies, The Ethical Line is a must-read for all educators. Kudos to Dr. Faddis for this important contribution to the field.”
Jacqueline Stefkovich, JD, Pennsylvania State University

Recommendations