Ethical Issues and Teaching

University of California Santa Cruz

EDUC 104 (#42634)
Winter 2018

Ron Glass
Professor of Philosophy of Education

“The self divides itself among its ideals, principles, and values; it speaks
with more than one moral voice—and that is why it is capable of self criticism
and prone to doubt, anguish, and uncertainty.” - Michael Walzer

Class meetings: Porter 148: Tuesdays/Thursdays, 9:50 – 11:25am; 5 Units

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 – 2:00pm [schedule in person, by email or phone;
other appointment times/days are also possible]

Office: McHenry 3122 Email: rglass@ucsc.edu Phone: 831-459-5188

Course Themes
This course emphasizes a philosophical exploration of the ethical complexities of teaching. We read
theoretical investigations of these complexities, and we examine cases that pose difficult ethical
questions and illuminate the dilemmas and conundrums of everyday life in US classrooms. The
course will be grounded in a dialogical and critical examination of the readings and cases on offer
each meeting.

Course Expectations and Requirements

It is critically important to complete the readings in advance and to be thoughtfully prepared for
each class meeting because this is a dialogue-based class. I hope together we can seek genuine
understanding of very complex and fraught issues about which a wide range of views may be
represented in the class. Discussion must be respectful at all times, even in the midst of sharp
debate or disagreement. To have open, honest, reflective, focused, and sensitive inquiry such
as is required in approaching ethical matters, we each must commit to making the class a
supportive learning community. We need to listen with attention and respect, and we need to
speak with care. As best we can, we should aim to bring our full attention to the time we have
together and contribute to a supportive learning community.

Each of your active participation is needed, and consistent, punctual, prepared, and engaged
involvement is expected and appropriately rewarded. The more we each put into our preparation
and our limited time together, the stronger the course will be for all of us.

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Classroom etiquette and simple respect for others requires that cell phones be turned off or kept in
buzzer mode for emergency calls if necessary; similarly, our computers and other media or digital
devices should only be used for class purposes during our time together.

READING and PREPARATION REQUIRED: The reading assignments can be challenging,

and even the brief cases are only seemingly straightforward. Plan sufficient time to complete the
readings prior to each class, and particularly to engage the issues raised by them from the perspectives
offered from the set of theoretical frameworks introduced in the readings and class. Preparation will
be decisive for the quality of discussions, the value of lectures, and one’s performance on quizzes.
The weekly time demand for reading-study-reflection-writing load varies, but averages approximately
ten hours per week; the specific readings for each class are noted in the syllabus under the date and
topic for the session.

NOTEBOOK RECOMMENDED: It is recommended that you keep a reading/case notebook to

organize your notes and comments on the many readings and cases we will be considering; this will
prepare you well for class dialogues and particularly for the assignments. Citing theories and
drawing on similar cases and their facts, logics, and reasoning will be very useful in analyzing and
deciding new cases. This practice will be useful for thinking about the wide range of ethical issues
raised in teaching, their effects on diverse communities, and their demands on you professionally
and personally.

Required Book: One required book is available for sale in the BayTree Bookstore or through
other book sellers.
M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). (2016). Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and Commentaries.
Harvard Education Press.

You will find the additional required readings/cases in your Canvas Files folder. Many of the
cases are drawn from several editions of: Kenneth A. Strike and Jonas F. Soltis. (2009) The Ethics of
Teaching. Teachers College Press. The source of other cases is noted individually.

DIALOGUE :::::: DISCUSSION

CASES

Prepared, on-time, and focused class participation counts! Be prepared to dialogue with
your classmates, to listen to one another attentively and to share your perspective. These
are complex ethical cases with many nuances so be thorough in your preparations! Class
lectures, dialogues, and discussions will build on the readings and on the contributions of
each of you as we explore each case.

Most days, one or more cases will be the focal point of our time together. The cases illustrate the
ethical complexities, conundrums, dilemmas, double binds, and other challenges of everyday life in
k-12 schools and in school teaching as a profession. Readings and lectures will introduce some basic
frameworks and theories about ethics and teaching to help the class as a whole grapple with these

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matters now (as students) and perhaps too as teachers, parents, and community members, not to
mention as ethical beings and persons.

My office hours are open to your choice of questions or topics raised by the assignments, readings,
discussions, and your interests. If my regular office hours are not possible for you, other mutually
agreeable times can be arranged by contacting my directly before/after class, or by email/phone.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS &

IN-CLASS QUIZZES &
PRESENTATION

Your grade will be earned through short but challenging written assignments and in-class quizzes; all
written work will be your individual work. There will also be a group presentation on a specific case,
and I will assign the grade in alignment with a rubric co-developed in the class. Further particulars,
along with the ethical considerations in assignments and grading, will be discussed at multiple points
throughout the quarter. Course assessments are meant to be both a demonstration of your learning
and an opportunity for you to examine your own approach to the many complex ethical questions at
the foundations of teaching.

All writing must be your own original work. Individual written assignments must be submitted on the due date (or
earlier; see below for extension and late policies); please proof read your papers and provide a stapled hard
copy with your name in the upper right (8-½ X 11”; 12-pt font and 1” margins; 1/1/2 or 2-spaced).

Each assignment is described briefly here, and additional information will be provided in class.

Essay Assignments:
1. Situating Oneself within the Ethics of Teaching
≤ 5 pages :: Due Tuesday, February 6 (week five)
20% of the course grade

Write an interpretive and analytic essay (that goes beyond mere description) to reflect critically on
your own particular life history of learning to be moral, on your own wellsprings of ethical guidance,
and how this history and these wellsprings situate you, un/ground you, for the ethical relations and
challenges at the core of teaching, particularly in publicly supported k-12 and higher education
contexts. As you reflect on your life, use frameworks from the lectures and readings up through and
including all of week 4 to engage with such questions as:

How did you come to have the moral compass that guides you to live ethically? Did you develop
your moral sense through explicit lessons, and/or forceful corrections (from a parent, elder, peer,
teacher)? And/Or through critical self-reflection? And/Or through ‘simply growing up into’ the
values in your home, religious setting, or ethnic or geographic community, or perhaps your peer
group or wider society?

How does your moral compass shape how you make decisions about what is right or wrong in your
everyday activities, or in your difficult choices when values, duties, and/or feelings conflict? Do you

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draw on principles? Do you consider consequences? How do you take into account the others
involved in the dilemma or issue?

How do you engage the inconsistencies in your own moral life, or the conflicts you have with others
in relation to moral values and commitments?

What do you regard as your personal strengths and weaknesses for facing the ethical challenges of
teaching (such as with regard to discipline, grading, and/or student differences)?

2. Case Analysis

≤ 8 pages :: Due by 5PM, Tuesday, March 20

25% of the course grade
[Turn in at the professor’s McHenry 3122 office, or his mailbox in 3118]

A case will be distributed toward the end of the quarter that will become the focal point of your final
essay, a case analysis. Your analysis should be carefully developed in conversation with the ethical
theories and conceptual frameworks from the readings and lectures, and it should demonstrate your
grasp of how to use them to illuminate different ethical dimensions of the case. Your essay should
also present and justify your own judgments and conclusions about the case, along with suggestions
for more ethical alternative actions for the character(s), or how you would have handled the case
situations differently. This essay provides an opportunity for you to integrate a deep engagement
with the course materials and themes with your ethical self-understanding.

In-Class Assignments:
1. Three In-Class Reading Quizzes
Surprise Dates :: 30% of the course grade (10% each)
Multiple Choice, True/False, and/or Short Answer Questions

Three closed-book reading quizzes will be given on unannounced dates during the quarter. Unexcused absences do not
get opportunities for any quiz make-up credit. Partial Make-Up Credit is possible for EXCUSED absences
ONLY [i.e., when the professor is notified of absence in advance]. The partial make-up assignment
(worth only ≤ 8%) will be a 2-page response to a question posed on the quiz days (sent to you via
email by the professor in response for your request to be excused). The make-up paper is due at the
absent person’s next attended class meeting. NOTE: this make-up quiz paper is in addition to the
routine credit recovery essay for excused absences (see below).

2. Case Presentation (Group Project)

‘Choice’ of THURSDAYS of WEEKS Six, Seven, Eight

February 15, 22; March 1
20% of the course grade
Presentation time limit = 15 minutes

Teams of 3 people will be self-formed during the second week. Based on an order determined by
lottery, each team will choose one of the dates and cases for their presentation. Once all cases have
been selected, any remaining teams will be able to make their choices from the entire range of
dates/cases, but no case can have more than two teams presenting.

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Each team will present the team’s analysis and recommendations to the class. The presentation
should detail the key ethical issues and offer insights into those issues enabled by the various ethical
theories, including an analysis of possible ethical actions and their reasons for recommending
particular actions for the primary case characters. The team need not be unanimous in its analysis or
reasoning, just as judges on a court may have contrasting views and judgments. Teams can use up to
5 minutes of their time to lead the class in a discussion or engagement with the case. Additional
details about the presentation will be provided.

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED at EVERY SCHEDULED COURSE MEETING.

Attendance accounts for 10% of the course grade. Each student is responsible for signing
the daily attendance register (sometimes both in/out) to get credit for attendance.

EXCUSED ABSENCES :: If an absence from class is necessary (due to illness, religious

holiday, or another legitimate reason) the professor should be notified in advance. It is the
student’s responsibility to consult with classmates about missed work and/or quizzes.

Excused absences (that is, advance notification) can recoup the loss of daily attendance
participation points IF AND ONLY IF a 1-2-page make-up reflection on/analysis of the
assigned reading for the absent day is turned in at the next class meeting attended. This essay
only makes up for missed attendance and participation points, NOT AS MAKE-UP FOR QUIZZES.

BEWARE!! :: CAUTION!! :: IMPORTANT!! If/when FOUR (4) ABSENCES (either

excused or not) have occurred, the absent student MUST conference with the professor as soon as
possible to make special arrangements to pass the course, arrange for an incomplete, or secure a
medical leave of absence, whatever is required. FOUR (4) UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
CONSTITUTES GROUNDS FOR AUTOMATIC COURSE FAILURE (except in very
unusual circumstances).

GRADES :::: GRADES :::: GRADES

Grading Standards and Performance Expectations

Each assignment has somewhat different expectations associated with it that will be discussed more
fully in class. Papers should demonstrate a serious, in-depth engagement with the course readings,
theories, and themes and should go beyond description of events or summaries to focus on
interpretive reflections and close analysis. The reading quizzes will test your recall and understanding
of central arguments and points from the day’s assigned reading. Participation in the course is
assessed in relation to punctual, prepared, consistent, and active engagement.

Each student will be held to the highest standards of academic integrity, in accord with the
University Code of Student Conduct, Principles of Community, and the Academic Integrity
Policy. Penalties for violating these standards can be severe, including expulsion from the
University. For additional information, consult the appropriate university websites

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VERY IMPORTANT about EXTENSIONS: The Moral Compass and Case Analysis
assignments should be turned in on the specified due date! Late papers may be assessed a penalty of
10% of the assignment value per day late. If unexpected circumstances necessitate a request for an
extension, you must request the extension and a new due date PRIOR TO the assigned date; the new due
date will then have the late paper penalty rule applied to it. The Case Presentation by its nature as
the basis for that day’s class meeting cannot receive an extension.

??? !!! GRADES ::: GRADES ::: If at any time you do not understand the basis of your grade, you
should meet with the professor as soon as possible to jointly review your work, clarify expectations, and determine what
needs to be done so that you might earn the grade you seek.

Assignment/Grade values:
• Reading Quizzes ≤ 300 points
• Situating Self ≤ 200 points
• Case Analysis ≤ 250 points
• Case Presentation ≤ 150 points
• Class Participation ≤ 100 points
TOTAL ≤ 1000 points

GRADES: A+ = 985 – 1000; A = 940 – 984; A- = 900 – 939; B+ = 870 – 899; B = 830 – 869; B-
= 800 – 829; C+ = 770 – 799; C = 700 – 769; D = 600 – 699; F ≤ 599

Professor’s Reserved Right: As the instructor of record, I reserve the right to make changes to all
elements of the course described in this syllabus and in accord with the course description, including
its specific topics, readings, requirements, and/or assignments. If I regard a change as necessary, I
will provide sufficient notice for students to make needed adjustments to complete the course
satisfactorily and in accord with their performance.

COURSE TOPICS AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

========
• Tentative Schedule •

1. TUE – Jan 9 Review of Syllabus; Introduction of Course Members

Morality and Ethics: More than Learning Right and Wrong
Reading:
• Thomas Nagel. (1987). Right and Wrong. What Does It All Mean? New York: Oxford
University Press. 59-75.

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2. THU – Jan 11 Moral Formation and Ethical Issues in Teaching

Reading:
• V. Siddle Walker, J.R. Sanrey (Eds). (2004) Figure 2. The Ethic of Care: Three
Developmental Levels. Figure 3. The Ethic of Justice: Six Developmental Stages. In Race-ing
Moral Formation: African American Perspectives on Care and Justice. New York: Teachers College
Press. 16-19.
• Audrey Thompson. (2004). Caring and Colortalk: Childhood Innocence in Black and White.
In V. Siddle Walker, J.R. Sanrey (Eds). Race-ing Moral Formation: African American Perspectives on
Care and Justice. New York: Teachers College Press. 23-37.
• Adrienne Rich. (1992). Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying. In Ethics: A Feminist
Reader, N. Fraser, J. Hornsby, & S. Lovibond (Eds.). Oxford: Blackwell. 327-337.

3. TUE – Jan 16 Ethical Pluralism and Teaching as an Ethical Profession

Reading:
• National Education Association Code of Ethics (http://www.nea.org/home/30442.htm)
• Kenneth A. Strike and Jonas F. Soltis. (2009) The Ethics of Teaching. Teachers College
Press. 1-36.
• Cases:
• Values Clarification
• Professional Conduct

4. THU – Jan 18 Consequences and Principles

Reading:
• Landau. (2012). Fundamentals of Ethics. New York: Oxford University Press. 117-186.
• Cases:
• Whose Rights?
• Inclusive?

5. TUE – Jan 23 Virtues and Caring

Reading:
• Richard Burnor & Yvonne Raley. (2011). Ethical Choices. New York: Oxford University
Press. 214-234 (including Video Games case); 240-257.
• Case:
• Abuse, Neglect, Nothing?

6. THU – Jan 25 Ethical-Political Intersections: Feminist and Decolonial Critiques

Reading:
• Alison M. Jaggar. (1991). Feminist Ethics: Projects, Problems, Prospects. Feminist
Ethics. Claudia Card (Ed). University of Kansas Press. 78-104.

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 • Noah De Lissovoy. (2010). Decolonial Pedagogy and the Ethics of the Global. Discourse:
Studies in Politics and Education. 31:3, 279-293.
• Case:
• New Harbor and the Iroquois Confederation

7. TUE – Jan 30 Ethical Teaching, Self-Knowledge, and Harming Students

Reading:
• Blizek. Caring, Justice, and Self-Knowledge. In Justice and Caring: The Search for
Common Ground in Education. M.S. Katz, N. Noddings, & K.A. Strike (Eds.). New
York: Teachers College Press. 1999.
• Michael Katz. (2009). Teaching with Integrity. In Philosophy of Education 2008. R.
Glass (Ed.). Urbana, IL: Philosophy of Education Society. 1-11.
• Cases:
• Five is not Enough
• Silence is not Golden
• Teacher Burnout

8. THU – Feb 1 Integrity, Boundaries, and Relationships

Reading:
• Robert Infantino & Rebecca Wilke. (2009). Tough Choices for Teachers: Ethical
Challenges in Today’s Schools and Classrooms. Lanham, MD; Rowman & Littlefield
Education. Chapter 11, Relationship Red Flags; Chapter 12, The Dating Game; Chapter
13, Sex and the Single Teacher
• Cases:
• Teacher or Friend?
• Friendly Support or Sexual Harassment?

9. TUE – Feb 6 Ethical Self-Understanding and Teaching

++ Situating Self in Ethics of Teaching Essay Due!!

No Reading :: Catch Up and Review Day

10. THU – Feb 8 Opportunity and Equity

Reading:
• Ch. 1: M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). 2016. Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and
Commentaries. Harvard Education Press.

11. TUE – Feb 13 CASES: Equal Opportunity and Standards

Reading and Case Presentations:

• Cases:
• College or Workforce?
• The Electrician

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 • Honors Algebra
• A Christmas Quarrel

12. THU – Feb 15 Grading and the Purposes of Schooling

Reading:
• Ch. 4: M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). 2016. Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and
Commentaries. Harvard Education Press.

13. TUE – Feb 20 CASES: Ranking and Sorting

Reading and Case Presentations:

• Cases:
• Beyond Word Processing
• Grading Policies
• A Graduating Senior

14. THU – Feb 22 Whose Needs Count?

Reading:
• Ch. 2: M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). 2016. Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and
Commentaries. Harvard Education Press.

15. TUE – Feb 27 CASES: Individual and Special Needs

Reading and Case Presentations:

• Cases:
• Susan’s Third Grade
• Paul & Tim
• Alternatives
16. THU – Mar 1 Zero Tolerance and the Carceral State
Reading:
• Ch. 3: M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). 2016. Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and
Commentaries. Harvard Education Press.

17. TUE – Mar 6 CASES: Discipline and Punishment

Reading and Case Presentations:

• Cases:
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Bang! Zero Tolerance
• Truth or Consequences

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18. THU – Mar 8 Policy and Reform: The Ethics of Integration

Reading:
• Ch. 5: M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). 2016. Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and
Commentaries. Harvard Education Press.
• Case:
• Equal but Separate

19. TUE – Mar 13 Policy and Reform: Choices, Markets, and Ethics

Reading:
• Ch. 6: M. Levinson & J. Fay (Eds). 2016. Dilemmas of Educational Ethics: Cases and
Commentaries. Harvard Education Press.
• Cases:
• Censorship?
• You Get What You Pay For

20. THU – Mar 15 Inhabiting the Ethics of Teaching

Reading:
• Ronald David Glass. (2011). Critical Pedagogy and Moral Education. In Devitis & Yu (Eds.).
Character and Moral Education: A Reader. New York: Peter Lang Publishers. 227-239.
[Optional of related interest: Ronald Glass. (2004). Moral and political clarity and education
as a practice of freedom. In Democratic Dialogue and Education: Troubling Speech, Disturbing Silence.
M. Boler (Ed.) New York: Peter Lang. 15-32.]
• Kenneth A. Strike. (1999). Three Pictures of Justice and Caring. In Justice and Caring: The
Search for Common Ground in Education. M.S. Katz, N. Noddings, & K.A. Strike (Eds.). New
York: Teachers College Press. 167-178.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TUESDAY, MARCH 21 ++ NO LATER THAN 5:00 PM ++

à FINAL CASE ANALYSIS ESSAY DUE
• Submit a hard copy at the professor’s office (McHenry 3122) or faculty mailbox (McHenry
3118).

FIN
END
FINI
Chaput

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