Ethics for School Business Officials

In the current climate of scandals from accounting firms, major business companies, and executives, this is a very timely book. School business officials (SBOs), the chief fiscal officers for school districts, have responsibility for large amounts of public funds. In their positions, they face many ethical dilemmas involving financial, personnel, and professional issues in school districts. However, the business side of schools is a relatively unknown area for most educators and is less open to outside scrutiny. It is also an area where there may be many temptations. Consequently, the importance of ethical leadership has never been greater. This book highlights the importance of ethical behavior in SBOs' professional lives and provides assistance in incorporating ethical considerations into decision making in education. To address the complexity and range of issues that confront SBOs, the book sets out multiple ethical frameworks to deal with different and often competing perspectives of what should be done. They include models based on what is just, caring, and inclusive of all voices, as well as community expectations, and standards set forth by professional associations. Features: Sections to help SBOs to develop their own personal and professional codes of ethics to use in their position. A general approach to recognizing and dealing effectively with ethical dilemmas faced by SBOs. Real-life case studies of ethical dilemmas written by SBOs. Will be of interest to school business officials and graduate students in educational administration programs involving financial management and school business administration.

William T. Hartman is a professor of education in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University and co-founder and the executive director of the Center for Total Quality Schools at Pennsylvania State University. His areas of interests include resource allocation to improve teaching and learning, school budgeting, funding approaches for special education and regular education, and quality management in education. Jacqueline A. Stefkovich is a professor of educational administration and head of the Department of Education Policy Studies at Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include ethics and school leadership and the intersection between what is legal, what is ethical, and what is good administrative practice.