Lincoln-Hubbard School
Parent Workshop
March 12, 2015
Ethics 101
Our Mission
To promote
the process and practice
of ethical decision-making
in primary and secondary
school communities.
Our Vision: To Empower the World
to Live Ethically
Educator Professional Development
Parent Programs
In the form of workshops, discussion groups, and guest
speaker visits, Ethics Institute scholars have provided,
on average, 6 learning opportunities per year to the
Kent Place School parent community.
Student Learning
We provide faculty leadership and
program support for the junior ethics
seminar, middle school ethics
courses, and ethical decision-making
workshops. We support a
team which participates in the
National High School Ethics Bowl.
Parent
Programs
Educator
Professional
Development
Ethics Institute scholars have provided workshops
to over 200 educators in the United States and
Canada, offer 3 workshops annually to Kent Place
personnel, and have presented at over 12
conferences.
Bioethics Project
Student
Learning
Ethics in Action
We are launching a program that brings teams of
educators and students from schools across the
Northeast to the Kent Place campus to develop ethical
decision-making and leadership skills which they will
apply to ethical challenges within their own school
communities.
Bioethics
Project
Ethics in
Action
A student-driven research program,
The Bioethics Project involves pairs of
student researchers and professional
scholars. The student researchers
generate a public website, as well as a
community symposium.
Conversation Norms
One speaker at a time
Share the air – say what’s core
Use “I” statements
You are the owner of your own experience
Practice purity of motive
“Ouch!”, then educate
Take responsibility for what you say and how you say it
Maintain confidentiality
Be real, take off the mask!
Lean into discomfort; take positive risks
2007 JA Worldwide/Deloitte Teen
Ethics Survey
The fifth annual JA/Deloitte Teen Ethics
Survey found that while most teens (71
percent) feel fully prepared to make
ethical decisions in the workplace, nearly
40 percent of those young people believe
that lying, cheating, plagiarizing, and
violence are sometimes necessary to
succeed in school.
2008 JA Worldwide/Deloitte Teen
Ethics Survey
Q: Why do you think cheating on a test is
OK?
• Personal desire to succeed in school – 76%
• Parental pressure to succeed in school –
59%
• To help a friend – 57%
“A Calm Brain”
“Modern demands on our brains – from the
insistent buzz of technology to the
persistent illusion of urgency – dictate this
ill-advised shift toward the alarm zone of
our body and brain apparatus, at great cost
to our well-being and peace of mind.”
A Calm Brain: How to Relax Into a Stress-Free, HighPowered Life, by Gayatri Devi, MD, 2012.
Ethics?
When was the first time
you encountered an
“ethics” issue as a
parent?
What was the issue?
Case Study
“The Trolley”
You are standing on an overpass in a train yard. From
where you are standing, you can see that a train is
approaching, and will run over 5 workers who are
gathered further down on the track. The workers are
unaware that the train is approaching, and they will
surely be killed by the oncoming train. Next to you is a
lever that will divert the train onto another track; however,
if the train goes onto that track, one unsuspecting
bystander will be killed.
Do you pull the lever?
Harvard Moral Sense Test, Joshua Greene, PhD
Case Study
“The Party”
Your child is a second grader at a new school. You have been
concerned lately because it does not seem as if your child has
had an easy time making friends. It is painful to watch your
child standing in front of the school, waiting for you to pick
her up, all alone.
This Saturday, your parents are celebrating their 40th wedding
anniversary. There will be the usual party with lots of guests,
including extended family and friends. You have not been
involved in planning the celebration, but you will certainly be
expected to attend with your spouse and daughter.
Case Study
“The Party”
You pick up your daughter from school that Friday, and she is
absolutely elated! Jenny, the most popular and smart girl in the
class, has invited your daughter over to her house for a
playdate on Saturday. Your daughter is beaming with delight!
You freeze in horror as you realize that the playdate is at the
same time as your parents’ 40th anniversary party.
What do you do?
Three “Types” of Parenting
• “Helicopter”
• “Lawnmower”
• “Ethical”
Ethical Dilemma
or
Moral Dilemma?
Ethics
A system of moral principles; the
branch of philosophy dealing with
human values and moral conduct.
The science of moral duty or the
science of ideal human character.
In Search of Ethics: Conversations with Men and
Women of Character (Marella), 2001
“Learning ABOUT ethics”
vs.
“DOING ethics”
A “Process” and a “Practice”
How do you DO ethics as a parent?
Value
“something (principle, quality, or entity)
intrinsically desirable or valuable”
Webster’s 3rd New International Edition
“A value is a personal or societal belief based
on…what is considered important. They are
tangible or intangible, and something to live
by.”
Dr. Rezach’s Ethics Class, Spring 2007
Pew Research Center Survey 2014
American Trends Panel
Both Conservative and Liberal Groups Value:
Responsibility
Hard Work
Manners
Helping Others
Independence
Persistence
“Teaching the Children: Sharp Ideological Differences, Some Common Ground,” April –
May, 2014, http://www.people-press.org/2014/09/18/teaching-the-children-sharpideological-differences-some-common-good
Truth/Honesty
Responsibility
Respect
Source: Institute for Global Ethics, 2009
Courage
Humility is not thinking less
of yourself,
it’s thinking of yourself less.
Trustworthiness
Autonomy
Equality
Self-fulfillment
Service
Freedom
Compassion
Promise-Keeping
Justice
Fairness
Safety
Integrity
Privacy
Accountability
Loyalty
Security
What are your top 3 personal
values?
How are these values “lived out”
in your life?
Ethical Dilemma
A choice between two values
Right vs. Right
Ethical Decision-Making
• What are the issues?
• What are the values?
• What is the “right vs. right?”
“Linda” Case Study
A Values-Based Model for
Ethical Decision-Making
1. Study and understand
the situation.
2. Identify the ethical
dilemma –
right vs. right.
3. Identify the values that
are involved on all sides.
4. Identify the values that
influence your position.
5. Communicate effectively and
respectfully a decision that
demonstrates the ability to…
• apply the facts
• identify values that inform your
position
• refer to other sources to build the
argument
Steps to Ethical Decision Making
•
•
•
•
Study and understand the situation
Identify the ethical dilemma
Identify the values that influence your opinion
Identify ethical principles/theories (totalitarian,
deontological, etc.
• Make a decision that demonstrates the ability to
apply the facts, build a strong argument, connects
the argument/ideas to present and past class work
and experiences, infer and interpret what is at
stake, refer to other sources to build the argument,
and communicate (verbally or in writing) the
argument effectively and respectfully.
Case Study - Linda
Linda is a senior at a very prestigious, college-prep
high school. Throughout her high school career,
Linda has excelled academically, athletically, and is a
leader among her peers, being recently elected as
editor of the school newspaper.
As the college process moves along, Linda is finding
it very difficult to keep up with her AP courses, while
filling out college applications, recommendations,
SAT’s, etc. Her application to Yale and an AP
English paper are both due on the same date. Linda
is stressed to the max, so she opts to complete her
Yale application while doing a “copy and paste”
from the Internet for a large section of her English
paper.
Case Study –Linda (continued)
Linda’s English teacher discovers the plagiarism,
and confronts Linda about it. Linda bursts into
tears, is remorseful, explains the situation, and asks
the teacher to tell no one. The teacher knows that
she must report the incident to the Judiciary, and
that Linda will be found guilty of violating the
Honor Code. This violation will then be reported
to Yale, as well as to any other university to which
Linda applies. This will seriously jeopardize her
admission into these Ivy League institutions.
If you were the English teacher, would you report
Linda?
Reflection
What ethical dilemma(s) do you face as a
parent?
What do you feel is the most difficult
issue you face?
How can you “teach” your values to your
child?
Upcoming Parent Workshops
Does Gender Make a Difference in
Ethical Decision-Making?
Wednesday, March 25
Kent Place School
Commons Room
8:30 am - 10:00 am