Standard 5: Ethics and Integrity

Standard 5 states “Education leaders make decisions, model, and behave in ways that

demonstrate professionalism, ethics, integrity, justice, and equity, and hold staff to the same

standard. Throughout this program, a common message has emerged. Though it has been

articulated in a number of ways, the message has been to know who you are as a leader, be

reflective, and make equity minded decisions. Leaders are faced with many challenging

situations that require them to make decisions about sensitive issues. An artifact that

demonstrates my work towards this standard is the ​Administrator Interview​ I conducted for

EDAD 616A: The Role of Schooling in a Democratic Society. Part of being an effective leader

is considering the legal consequences of decisions, communications, and interactions. This

interview provided insight into the importance of staying current with school law, understanding

how to follow the personnel policies as approved by the board of directors, and collaborating

with and obtaining feedback on decisions from experienced colleagues.

In addition to the legal considerations, a leader must think about ethical decision-making

with a consistent focus around cultural responsiveness. I have grown throughout this program in

my ability to intentionally reflect on my actions regularly and honestly by examining my own

biases. As I continue my work towards becoming a culturally responsive leader, I will continue

to become more comfortable with having honest and direct conversations to promote equitable

access to learning for all scholars. In EDAD 612: Development of Professional Leadership

Perspectives, I had the opportunity to read ​Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When

Stakes Are High​, by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler. This book discusses strategies

for conducting difficult conversations where emotions run high. It is imperative to further
develop this skill because I am committed to being a culturally responsive leader and with that

commitment comes difficult conversations as I question and evaluate my own beliefs and the

beliefs of my team when they negatively affect teaching and learning. An artifact that

demonstrates my work toward this standard is my ​Journal Summary Assignment​ for an article

about culturally responsive school leadership from EDAD 610: Leading School Communities in

a Diverse Society. In this assignment, I process the role of school leaders in developing and

maintaining a culturally responsive environment by recognizing how values impact the lens with

which they view students, teachers, and the school culture. This impacts the decisions they make

and the actions they take.

References

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). ​Crucial conversations: Tools for
talking when stakes are high.​ New York, NY: McGraw Hill.