The Ethics of Educational Leadership

Abstract

"No issue has captured the interest and imagination of the Americanpublic more than the subject of ethics, particularly in relation toleadership in the public sector" (Rebore, 2000, p.v). One of the mostuniversal questions in educational leadership is "What is therelationship of ethics as it relates to educational leadership?" Theanswer can be very complex. Many authors who have written on thesubject of ethics in educational leadership have tried to answer thisquestion. All major branches of ethics must be considered whenattempting to answer this question. These branches include metaethics,normative ethics, applied ethics, moral psychology, anddescriptive ethics and how each relates to the moral dimension ofleadership. Research suggests that ethical leadership remains largelyunexplored offering researchers opportunities for new discoveriesand leaders opportunities to improve their effectiveness. In treating the subject of ethics as it relates toeducational leadership, the material and argumentation Rebore uses in The Ethics of EducationalLeadership (2000) in this text are organized in such a way that they support Standard Five of theInterstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards for School Leaders and helpanswer this very question. Standard Five of the ISLLC states that a school administrator is aneducational leader who promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and in anethical manner (ethical leadership).