Transcript Psychological, Ethical, and Legal Challenges Facing

Major Legal, Ethical,
Educational, and Psychological
Challenges
1
Facing Schools
& Guidance Programs
October 18, 2010
WALTER J. SULLIVAN, PH.D.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR & DIRECTOR OF
THE EDUCATION CENTER
COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE
[email protected]
The Teacher/Counselor as Model
 “I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the
decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal
approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood
that makes the weather. As a teacher/counselor, I
possess a tremendous power to make a student’s life
miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an
instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor,
hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that
decides where a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated
and a student humanized or de-humanized.”
Haim Ginott
Key Ideas
3
 Whole child & whole school approaches
([email protected])
 Teaching & Counseling as a
RELATIONSHIP
Ethical Behavior in Schools and
Counseling
4
 Individual values and impact on moral
decision-making
 Ethical decisions at the building level
 Ethical decisions at the district level
 Ethics and building a community
5
Emotional & Ethical
Challenges
 Paradox of our times
 Transitions are “BIG”
 Lost boys-James Garbarino
 Consequences of perfection and competition
 Cornucopia Kids (Baldwin)
 Dealing with death, dying & bereavement
 Self-image is the pivotal concept
 Bullying (Be cool not cruel)
 Peer pressure & cultural pressure
Challenges Continued…
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 Equity of resources & educational opportunities;


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achievement gaps and some solutions
Identification of learning difficulties & IEPs
“Test Prep” mentality & NCLB and ‘Race to the
Top’ mandates →Teacher and counselor
evaluations using standardized tests (40%)
Poor quality teaching as a result of student &
parent complaints: what do you do?
Explosion of the impact of brain research on
teaching and learning; Thinking Maps
Possible Ethical Solutions to
these Challenges
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 Building Community-culture of caring
 Power of Modeling (Bandura) (Sizer)
 Possibility Thinking (Schuler)
 Character Education & Attitude (Licona



www.charactercounts.com)
Resiliency & building of assets
Moral & spiritual leadership (Tolman)
Find ‘significant others’ for isolated students
LOVE: give and receive (Kapel)
Possible Solutions cont…
8
 ‘In praise of judicious praise’
 Students need a personal victory every day.
(We all do!!)-Support! Support!
 Professional Staff Development:
Differentiation of Instruction, 21st Century
Skills, modeling, and awareness of the
school and classroom climate.
Schools, Ethics and the Law
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 Parent’s right to know & counselor’s role
 Zero tolerance policies-problematic
 FEPRA: a matter of discipline
 Student files: disciplinary vs. personal
 Student’s rights & responsibilities: due process “in
loco parentis”
 School’s code of discipline & the Athletic Code of
Conduct
 Free speech: are there limits? (Tinker Case)
Schools and the Law cont…
10
 Reasonable search of students & lockers
 Sexual harassment: ‘hostile environment’ &
‘quid pro quo’
 Prayer groups in public schools –equal
access
 Dress: cannot be distracting to the
educational process
Safety & Violence in Schools
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 Clear emergency plans
 Threat assessments (Secret Service)
 School resource officer
 ABC’s of school safety: awareness, balance, &
control
 Dealing with crisis
(www.emsc.nysed.gov/sss?Save?)
 Early warnings & timely response
(www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/gtss.htm)
“It takes a village to raise a child
and a bridge to reach the
village.”
“Behind every behavior problem
is a story to be told and a heart
to be healed.”