This course concerns major moral challenges for leadership in educational decision making. These include conflicts between religion and ethics, as well as the responsibilities of and for education in democratic societies. We will draw on resources from bioethics and ethical norms that have arisen in relation to the performance of research on human subjects to examine and reveal the ways in which historical norms are applied, updated, challenged, and revised in the light of new democratic contexts, particularly applied to the contexts of colleges and schools. We will review dominant moral theories and how they various apply or conflict with modern norms, yet continue to inspire divergent outlooks on education. We will then conclude the course with focus on particular contexts for challenges in democratic societies, such as with regard to integration and self-segregation, conflicts of interest, challenges for teachers, administrators, and testing in schools, as well as with regard to special education.

This course concerns major moral challenges for leadership in educational decision making. These include conflicts between religion and ethics, as well as the responsibilities of and for education in democratic societies. We will draw on resources from bioethics and ethical norms that have arisen in relation to the performance of research on human subjects to examine and reveal the ways in which historical norms are applied, updated, challenged, and revised in the light of new democratic contexts, particularly applied to the contexts of colleges and schools. We will review dominant moral theories and how they various apply or conflict with modern norms, yet continue to inspire divergent outlooks on education. We will then conclude the course with focus on particular contexts for challenges in democratic societies, such as with regard to integration and self-segregation, conflicts of interest, challenges for teachers, administrators, and testing in schools, as well as with regard to special education.