Question

Can you please give me some key take aways from this article?

Growing up in Atlanta, I am familiar with the Parks Middle cheating scandal. I remember watching it on the news as a kid and not really understanding how and why these teachers and principals had done what they did. I think it would have been a very difficult situation to be a part of as a teacher, considering their leader was pressuring them to do something highly illegal. I can't believe a principal would think that all teachers would follow suite on this and not be a whistle blower. There was bound to be teachers who had morals and wouldn't stand for this. After being an educator for two years now, I see the stress and anxiety that is put on not only the students, but teachers and administrators. However, the stress and anxiety of testing should never drive the leader of a school to create this plan of cheating.

As an administrator, you have to be a leader in many different ways. You have to lead through words, actions, and your morals. If you condone cheating in your building, then you don't belong in the education system at all. If I was an administrator I would respect my employees, communicate with them consistently, and lead by example and make my morals were clear about things of this nature. Like I said I understand how much pressure is on teachers and administrators to have their students show growth on the AYP report, but cheating is not the way to do it. Teachers must give it their all in order to prepare their students for testing. I would never allow this to happen in my building as an administrator and leader.

Answer 1

Answer: There are two major key take way from this article

1. Role of leadership in developing ethical atmosphere inside the organization is vital. In this Parks middle cheating case the leader had put pressures on the teachers to support cheating. This was the major reason that teachers despite personally having moral values and stand against cheating were forced to indulge in an unethical act. Hence it is evident that leadership has a major role to play for developing ethics inside the organizations.   
2. The followers in an organization should not accept a wrong dictate which is unethical in nature. They should act as whistle blowers and act together for preventing the unethical acts inside the organization. In absence of courage in the employees to whistle blow no organization can develop ethics.