Sticky Issues
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Sticky Issues Archive >
In this section, principals tell how they handled a challenging situation, how some policy that was in place actually worked, and the lessons learned from dealing with these Sticky Issues. Send your stories to principal@osu.edu. Please indicate if we may use your name in the “contributor” credits.
Ethical or Unethical?
There are many sticky situations that arise in the life of a school administrator that require ethical judgment. The following scenarios are real situations either self-reported by principals whose names have been changed or have been taken from news clippings. All principals at one time or another may find themselves in the position of asking, “is this a situation where I am being ethical or unethical?” Reflecting on these examples may arm you with added insight when faced with an ethical issue or an issue related to fairness or integrity.
Scenario 1
A school principal finds himself in the district office with the assistant superintendent who is in charge of his school area. They are having a conversation when the assistant superintendent begins talking very negatively about another district administrator. The assistant finally looks directly at the principal and says, “Don’t you agree that Mr. Jones is an inept upstart who thinks he knows it all?”
Ethical or Unethical?
Disposition/Implication: The principal, who happens to think a lot of the administrator who is being bashed says, “I actually think a lot of Mr. Jones and the changes he has made in the district.” (Maintains integrity—Ethical)
Scenario 2
A principal trusts only a chosen few on her staff, so she socializes with them on a regular basis, inviting them to her home and out to Happy Hour. She wants to make it clear to the others that if you don’t treat her with the importance that she believes she deserves, she will ignore you.
Ethical or Unethical?
Disposition/Implication: Morale was low on this staff. There was a we/they rift making communication and planning together difficult. Staff turnover was high. There was more energy spent on the adult-to-adult interactions rather than the forward movement of the school and the students. (Unethical)
Scenario 3
A New York City principal and his wife who lived in New Jersey sent their child to a New York City School, but did not pay the required tuition.
Ethical or Unethical?
Disposition/Implication: An investigation was conducted. The principal was allowed to retire in exchange for being disciplined. The findings were forwarded to law enforcement authorities. As a result of the investigation, the district offered a period of amnesty for employees who were breaking this rule to come forward and pay up. Apparently the first principal paid the price for a broken rule that many had broken. (Principal perhaps was a scapegoat, but initial behavior—unethical.)
Scenario 4
A superintendent in Spotsylvania County, VA, was indicted for alleged obstruction of justice and violation of state election law. The law allows for governing bodies but not school boards to publish information on bond referendums. Apparently the Spotsylvania staff prepared a flier about last year’s $41 million school bond referendum.
Ethical or Unethical?
Disposition/Implication: The superintendent felt the indictments were unfair as she works at the direction of the board of education. (This is a classic case of “the buck stops here!” The superintendent has a point, but apparently the law in that state was broken—unethical.)
