EDU 525: Ethical Leadership: Creating the School Vision and Culture

Class Program
Credits 3
This course pursues a philosophical and conceptual investigation of the educator as leader in both the school and community. The course begins with an overview of the ethical basis of leadership, together with consideration of various leadership models on student achievement, various ethical frameworks and perspectives on ethics, and the values of diverse school communities. Prominent theories such as transformational leadership, transactional leadership, servant leadership, situational leadership and instructional leadership, as well as leading theorists such as Michael Fullan, Peter Senge, Nel Noddings, and Stephen Covey will be discussed from the vantage point of developing a personal leadership style. Case studies will be employed to provide practice in ethical decision making. Emphasis will be placed on the mental models and subsequent personal mastery required of the school leaders in order to establish a school vision and culture. Students complete the course by developing and defending their own model of leadership, drawing from all portions of the course.