Leading Through the Quagmire : Ethical Foundations, Critical Methods, and Practical Applications for School Leadership

Drawing from the writings of John Dewey, this book advocates his notion that democracy is an appropriate ethic to respond to the diverse interests, needs, and values in conflict in educational settings. It provides the foundation for understanding ethical tensions, as well as the methods and applications to reason through them.

School leaders are constantly challenged by diverse students and conflicting interests between faculty and staff. They are often called upon to make sense of ethical quagmires, where rules might conflict with desired outcomes or personal values clash with professional obligations. Negotiating these dilemmas can be challenging, but democratic ethics can offer an effective process to work through them. Drawing from the writings of John Dewey, Leading Through the Quagmire advocates his notion that democracy is an appropriate response to the multitude of conflicting interests, needs, and values in educational settings. Moreover, Enomoto and Kramer propose an inquiry method to harness democratic ethics for engaging in fair deliberation and conflict resolution. This book provides the foundation for understanding tensions, as well as the methods and applications to navigate through them. Stories and examples are provided to enable readers to understand such terms as utilitarianism, ethical tensions, religious attitudes, and eco-feminism in meaningful ways.