0.16 Surface, j. (october 2011). assessing edad candidates' leadership  (Page 4/7)

The Ethic of Justice helps us govern ourselves by observing justice. A standard of justice helps us treat each other uniformly across our relationships. In this philosophy, it is believed that through experience and living in society one learns the lessons morality. Participation in the life of the community teaches individuals how to think about their own behavior in terms of the common good of the community. This ethic helps us examine the structural features of the school that work against human beings. Ethics that fall under this area are emphasized in our School Business Management and School Law Courses. There is major emphasis in School Business Management in creating a business environment that relies upon a system of financial procedures for protecting school funds and protecting staff from suspicion of theft or laxness. Students learn the importance of separation of duties and a clear system of accountability to increase the fidelity of managing school funds.

The Ethic of Care is embedded in work by Nel Noddings (1984) and Carol Gilligan (1982). This Ethic focused on the demands of relationships, not from a contractual or legalistic standpoint, but from a standpoint of absolute regard. The ethic requires fidelity to persons, willingness to acknowledge their right to be who they are, openness to encouraging them in their authentic individuality, a loyalty to the relationship. Administrators committed to an ethic of care will be grounded in the belief that should be held sacred and that the school as an organization should hold the good of human beings within it as sacred. An administrative exchange to a relationship of caring when there is deep attention to the unique human being involved in the exchange and to issues of self-esteem, personal confidence, and ego anxieties. One of the critical aspects of our program is a course in Interpersonal Relationships for School Administrators. In this course, students learn how to articulate their own values and the extent of their congruence with various group values; they develop strong communication skills for all types of situation that occur within the school environment; they develop an understanding of the school culture and learn how to guide and improve it; and they gain the skills to effectively deliver performance appraisal feedback to employees.

The three ethics together enrich each other to develop a more complete ethic. Having a framework by which decisions can be made will help administrators create roadmaps to solve complex problems, particularly if the problem is filtered through all three ethics. The Ethic of the Profession was proposed by Shapiro and Stefkovich, and another theory, Turbulence theory, was proposed by Stephen Gross.

The Ethic of the Profession provides a filter for administrators to ask themselves: what is in the best interest of students? What does the community think? What is the appropriate way for a professional to act in this particular situation? Threaded throughout the coursework, and emphasized in School Community Relations Class, the Ethic of the Profession helps our students develop cultural competence, the continuum for seeing and responding to difference, and the essential elements as well as barriers to creating a foundation of positive behaviors and practices within themselves, their schools, and the diverse community (Keiser, 2009 ) In this class, students are exposed to experiential learning and community engagement through volunteer work in the community.