Page 12 - Inquiring into the Ethical Dimensions of Professional Practice

Vignette 5: Respecting Competing Rights
A teacher in a special education program was experiencing some significant medical challenges. Over time it became evident to colleagues and administrators that this staff member’s medical challenges were preventing him from performing his duties as a teacher and were having an impact on his ability to make sound professional judgments. He appeared to lack pedagogical knowledge, communication skills and the ability to know when he should ask for help. Many accommodations had been made for him in the workplace.
Other staff members wrote his formal Individual Education Plans (IEP) and completed other important paperwork. Report cards were never completed. He frequently would not perform scheduled supervision duties. The principals of Applied Behaviour Analysis were abused in order to get students to do what he needed. He often failed to teach the curriculum content required for his students to acquire basic skills. Year after year, his students’ behaviour deteriorated into violence. He had inappropriate relationships with students and their families which involved spending weekends away together. Teaching assistants were assigned to him who spent most of their time accommodating for the teacher rather than enhancing service to the students. When confronted by colleagues regarding various incidents or issues he would always bring up his disability and human rights issues. As a vice principal, I questioned my role, responsibilities and actions related to the situation and found myself caught in the middle between competing rights: a teacher’s need for accommodation and students right to a quality educational experience.
Ethical Inquiry Cycle
Ethical Inquiry Dialogic Process
After reading the vignette, educators are invited to engage in critical reflection and dialogue related to the following ethical inquiry process:
1. Experience: Identify the ethical challenge(s), issue(s) or dimensions inherent within this vignette.
2. Reflection: Critically reflect on the underlying values or assumptions that are influencing the professional practices in this vignette.
3. Critical Analysis: Critically analyze this vignette through the ethics of Care, Respect, Trust and Integrity.
4. New Perspectives and Insights: Identify new insights or understandings have been gained from reading this vignette?
Ethical Knowledge and Action
Generate suggestions for enhancing the ethical awareness, sensitivity and ethical efficacy of the educators in this vignette?
10 Ontario College of Teachers