MONDAY OCTOBER 5TH, 2009

"Ethics by Example," by Paula Mirk. Principal Leadership Magazine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Amber Kruk
Associate Director of Education
Institute for Global Ethics
1-800-729-2615 OR 1-207-594-6659 ext. 132
akruk@globalethics.org

Rockland, Maine— Paula Mirk, Director of Education at the Institute for Global Ethics (IGE), spoke with six secondary school leaders to learn how ethics and values contribute to leadership effectiveness. Those leaders offered five key recommendations.

These five recommendations are the theme of Mirk’s recent article, “Ethics by Example,” published in the October 2009 issue of Principal Leadership: Lead from your core values, have the courage to connect, do your homework, model your outcomes, and lean on others for support.

Mirk writes, “Building ethical, values-driven school communities requires school leaders who address those concerns in their daily practice.” She observes, “building serious, values-driven relationships in a school community is not without its pitfalls and challenges.” Mirk states further, “leaders who recognize that they don’t have to struggle to build school cultures of integrity alone [can develop] strong relationships with colleagues [who] can become important supports for sustaining [that culture].”

This article shares findings from a 2007 report, published jointly by IGE and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and funded by the John Templeton Foundation and the Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Fund, and seeks to translate those findings into the public school setting. The report presents ten key findings on teaching integrity. Like the study, which was conducted on the campuses of ten peer-nominated, independent schools that were selected for their exemplary attention to ethics and academic rigor, Mirk interviewed six secondary school leaders who were recommended on the basis of their solid reputation for integrity.

The findings outlined in the 2007 report, “Tell Me What You Really Think: A Report on the Schools of Integrity Project,” are behavioral observations that highlight the most effective steps taken by the study schools to promote character and integrity. The study presents a host of replicable practices that can help other schools improve the ethical culture of their schools.

The Institute for Global Ethics is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethical behavior in individuals, institutions, and nations through research, public discourse, and practical action. Clients include corporations, government entities, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad.

Principal Leadership magazine, published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), focuses on school leaders' real needs. It offers them practical, hands-on strategies for improving their schools in a constantly evolving educational environment.

 - IGE -