Grad Night Surprise: Ethic of Care and Restorative Justice

Abstract

Building trust and loyalty creates an ethical foundation in schools that welcomes openness and sincerity within the community. This case focuses on challenging disciplinary questions in which authentic and transformative leaders/principals, through critical self-reflection, awareness, and discipline, must explore the effects that teachers and students can have on the community as a whole. Troubling incidents at a Grade 8 graduation ceremony change the tone from one of celebration to that of bitterness. Potential implications of behavioral challenges from students and teachers are seen throughout this case which could negatively affect school culture. Principals must make decisions to affect positive outcomes.

Context

It was graduation night at Pinetree Elementary school in Oshawa, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. The Grade 8s were getting ready to leave their cherished elementary school of 680 students and move on to the local high school. A close-knit school ranging from kindergarten to Grade 8, the community population of 170,000 were well known to each other and supported each other. More than two-thirds of the 37 staff members had been in the school for the past 5 years and were well known to the families in the area.

Case Narrative

The year was coming to an end. I felt happiness and pride with the school, the teachers, and the students. It had all seemed like it went smoothly, this being my third year as Principal of Pinetree Elementary. There were the usual bumps and valleys throughout the year, but nothing for which I felt the need to call the superintendent to give her a heads up. The Intermediate teachers were all gearing up for the Grade 8 Graduation that was to be held that night. We had 45 students graduating and heading off to high school. The celebrations would consist of a ceremony, a memory video, and then a final dance for an hour and a half, in which parents would be allowed to have the first dance with their son or daughter before being asked to leave.

I could feel the excitement in the air. Many of the graduates left at lunch to prepare themselves for the evening, but a few stayed to help set up microphones, decorate, and make sure the video presentations worked properly. I had left most of the organizing up to the Intermediate teachers, knowing and trusting that they would all do amazingly, just as they always had at this school. With at least 4 years of experience each in this division, they were seasoned professionals. The only new teacher was the French teacher Madame Russo, a new hire at the beginning of the year, although even she had jumped into the excitement and was helping to decorate.

As it was the final week of school and most of the students were playing fun games in the classrooms or outside, I had some time to spend with the remaining Grade 8s and the Intermediate teachers in the gymnasium. Most of the decorating had been completed and there were a few odds and ends that they were finishing up. It was still a half hour before the end of the day and the dismissal bell. I saw that two Grade 8 students, Braydon and Diego, were setting up the video presentation for the evening. I reflected back on the past year for those two boys, feeling happy that they had found each other and became friends. Diego, who had been on an individual special education plan (IEP) since starting with us, had transferred to our school in Grade 5 and found it challenging to make new friends. He had a learning disability and struggled with reading but was persistent and never gave up. A recent diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) was also added to the IEP, and measures were being put in place to ease his transition to secondary school. Braydon had visited my office quite a few times in the past year. He seemed to constantly get into troublesome situations, but always confessed and apologized for his actions. He never dragged anyone else into his mischief, so I had never worried about these two becoming friends. Knowing that the teachers had previewed the video, I smiled as I walked away, hoping that the two would remain friends once in high school.

The night went smoothly, the speeches were amazing, and many parents had tears in their eyes as their child walked across the stage. The ceremony was getting close to being complete; there was just the memory video and then the dance. The video was musical and memorable, and I smiled as the photos flashed across the screen, remembering the fun moments, activities, and field trips that the Grade 8s were able to partake in the past year. Toward the end of the video, I noticed that some of the teachers’ pictures were put up and the students had put some describing words for each one. I felt pride at the thoughtfulness of the students to include the teachers in the video. When Mme. Russo’s picture appeared, however, I noticed that the words were unkind—words like stupid, dumb, and angry. They flashed across the screen swiftly, but they were there.

I quickly scanned the audience and noticed some startled faces. Yes, some of them had seen it. Glancing over at Mme. Russo, I noticed her face slowly start to turn red. Do I address this right away? Do I wait it out? I looked over to my superintendent and noticed the pursed lips as she looked back at me, raising her eyebrows. I nodded at her, trying to let her know that I would discuss with her as soon as possible. I decided not to address it right away as not every family had noticed; some of them were still smiling and chuckling at each other. The graduates processed out and the Intermediate teachers began to get ready for the dance. I pulled one of the teachers aside and asked if the video had been previewed. The teacher was almost in tears saying that she was the one who approved it and could not believe she had let that fall through. I knew the graduates were in the learning commons hanging up their robes, so I quickly went and asked for a moment with Braydon and Diego, who had set up the video.

After pulling them into the privacy of the learning commons office, I turned and asked them, “Did you put those words up about the French teacher?” Braydon looked me straight in the eye and said, “Yes, I did.” He didn’t seem upset by it, but instead was rather matter of fact. I asked why he would think that something like that was appropriate. He said that whenever Mme. Russo would come into class, she would say things like, “Good Morning Class! I hope we left all the stupidity at the door this morning!” or, “Hello, hello, hello, I know we aren’t going to say anything dumb in class today!” I felt shocked, and the hairs on my arms started standing up. Quickly glancing over at Diego, I could see the truth in his hurt and ashamed expression. I asked them why they never went to their homeroom teacher or myself or the vice principal to let them know, and Braydon answered that he did not feel like he would be believed, nor would any of the other students. I asked the boys if they had done the video together and Braydon said it was his idea, but Diego knew about it.

As I looked out the door for a breather, Mme. Russo stomped into the office. I turned into the printing room and motioned for her to follow me for some privacy from the boys. Inhaling slowly, I turned with questions in my eyes. Mme. Russo immediately started talking, she was angry but admitted that she sometimes forgets to think about what she is saying before she says it. The tears started to flow as I watched the realization cross her face that she was in the wrong. However, the words that came from her were, “I want these boys disciplined! They set me up and embarrassed me in front of the entire community. What are you going to do about this!?” I had just received the truth from Mme. Russo, she admitted that she said those words to the classes. I had to quickly think about next steps. As I headed back to the gymnasium to find my superintendent, I started cringing. Apparently I was not going to make it to the end of the year without conferencing with her.

Teaching Notes

Authentic leadership for school principals includes the ability to use an ethical lens in their decision-making (Begley, 2006; Starratt, 2009). In this case study, it is important that Principal Plum take the time to think things through. She should consider consequences for the school, the students, and the teachers, all of which would have a lasting impact on the school community.

Ethic of Care

Starratt (2009) proposes that leaders in their field should be directed in their roles as honorable representatives by the three ethical domains of justice, care, and critique. These ethical guidelines should be used to help steer the decision-making process of Principal Plum, so long as she bridges the gap between theory and practice. Her first step should be in identifying the ethical and moral implications of this case before choosing an appropriate solution. Determining key information in terms of stakeholders, conflicting interests, and existing guidelines will help Principal Plum develop a plan for addressing the situation.

Begley outlines a similar sequence in which to apply lenses through the ethics of critique, of care, and of justice. The ethic of care is directed toward focusing the disciplinary process on the people affected by the actions, rather than on the organization itself (Begley, 2006). In our case study, therefore, we should consider what ethical responsibilities Principal Plum has toward Mme. Russo, Braydon, and Diego. While it is true that we cannot ignore the negative effect their actions may have on the wider school community, it is important that Principal Plum bears in mind the circumstances of the teacher and students who are directly involved.

In the province of Ontario, where this case is situated, contained in The Education Act is legislation that requires principals to consider mitigating factors when making disciplinary actions or taking action. This regulation aligns well with the ethic of care (Begley, 2006; Starratt, 2009) and is further reinforced in a collaborative document between the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (2013). Diego’s recent identification of ADHD should be at the forefront of Principal Plum’s thoughts as she contemplates next steps. The inability to have full control over one’s behavior might be a factor in Diego’s choice to go along with Braydon’s actions. As to Braydon himself, his motivation to use hateful words on Mme. Russo’s image in the slideshow was a result of his feeling of harassment from her classroom interactions. None of these reasons excuse the behavior; however, they are all mitigating factors that must be taken into account.

Another provincial policy, Policy/Program Memorandum No. 145 (Ontario, 2018), also addresses discipline in a manner that meets the ethic of care (Begley, 2006; Starratt, 2009):

When inappropriate behaviour occurs, disciplinary measures should be applied within a framework that shifts the focus from one that is solely punitive to one that is both corrective and supportive. Schools should utilize a range of interventions, supports, and consequences that are developmentally and socio-emotionally appropriate and include learning opportunities for reinforcing positive behaviour while helping students to make better choices. (p. 4)

This approach of progressive discipline appreciates the individual circumstances of the student and recognizes that punitive consequences will do nothing toward effectively addressing the situation. While Mme. Russo, in her embarrassment and outrage, may react by demanding immediate and severe punishment for Diego and Braydon, it is in everyone’s best interests that Principal Plum adheres to the progressive discipline model. In her follow-up conversations with the French teacher, she should also be probing into the extent of truth from Braydon’s description of Mme. Russo’s classroom communication.

Restorative Justice

The lateness in the school year adds another layer to the principal’s decision-making. With only one week remaining, and the boys not returning to this school in September, a weak leader might feel tempted to take minimal disciplinary measures in hopes that the ensuing summer vacation would cause the incident to fade from memory. Principal Plum, however, considering herself to be a strong authentic leader would likely be unsatisfied with this stopgap approach. She would be cognizant of the fact that, with the help of social media, this episode had the potential to be destructive rather than overlooked in the summer. She might then consider applying the ethic of justice (Begley, 2006; Starratt, 2009) which seeks to adopt actions beneficial to the entire community. The hateful words in the graduation video would certainly cause rifts in the school culture among its students, staff, and parents. Principal Plum might do well in opting for a restorative justice approach to repair these rifts. As stated in a document addressing progressive discipline, Caring and Safe Schools in Ontario (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2010), “In restorative practice the focus is on the harmful effects of offending, and the objective is to restore relationships” (p. 36). Despite it being the end of the year, there would still be value in the boys making amends to restore their relationship with the school community. Mme. Russo should feel that her hurt was recognized, while also being able to acknowledge her contribution to the negative situation. The wider community would also be led to feel closure in a positive light, thus avoiding any taint at the beginning of the new school year in September. Finally, Braydon and Diego would benefit in the sense of their moral development, for “Restorative practices allow for the difficult yet crucial [moral] formation to happen, intentionally creating moments for students to see their actions and the harm their choices have caused” (Buckmaster, 2016, p. 4).

While restorative practices share an appreciation for the significance of relationships, actual approaches may look different from school to school. Common elements of the practice typically include time for self-reflection (Mirsky, 2014), opportunity to share feelings (Vaandering, 2014), and a collective willingness to move forward in repairing those relationships. As Principal Plum would be challenged to adopt this practice in the limited days remaining in the school year, she should reflect on specific approaches to make the time to fit in this important endeavor. Ideally, these approaches would flow naturally from the positive school culture which she believes to exist strongly at Pinetree Elementary, because the restorative process should be guided by their needs (Vaandering, 2014). In addition, Principal Plum might consider including the entire school community in the process because, “While significant variation in the use of restorative approaches exists in schools across the country (dependent on individual goals and available resources) whole-school approaches are widely accepted as the most successful interventions” (Gonzalez et al., 2019, p. 209).

Awareness and Reflective Practice

At the beginning of the narrative, Principal Plum prided herself on not feeling the necessity to consult with her supervisory officer through the course of the entire school year. She described her third year at the school as a smooth one, with the typical minor ups and downs. It is no surprise that she was flabbergasted when the events regarding the video presentation unfolded. We might well wonder how she remained unaware of these concerns involving Mme. Russo’s class. If Braydon was being honest in relating the extent of the incidents, what does it say about the school culture that he and his classmates were not comfortable bringing it to the attention of the staff and Principal Plum? Perhaps other aspects of the school year had not run as smoothly as she perceived them to be.

Transformative leadership “recognizes the need to begin with critical reflection and analysis and to move through enlightened understanding to action” (Shields, 2010, p. 572). Had Principal Plum practiced more critical self-reflection, might she have detected the underlying tensions in French class? She herself remembers how frequently Braydon was sent to her office. While remorseful about his actions, his consistent visits indicate that he continued to make poor choices nonetheless. A more discerning leader might have reflected that the strategies in place for his behavior were not effective. Progressive discipline should be just that—progressive. Yet it was implied that Braydon’s behavior seemed to remain consistently questionable.

As to the inappropriate words that Mme. Russo allegedly used toward her students during French class, we might speculate on how everyone except the students were unaware that this was transpiring. Even if there may have been exaggeration on Braydon’s part, it was clear from his and Diego’s conversation with Principal Plum that those students did indeed feel harassed by Mme. Russo. While the principal had immense confidence in her intermediate veterans, she was still the leader of that school community, and as such should have remained attentive to the culture and its daily tones. Dewey (1966), a strong proponent of reflection, states that, “This extension of our insight makes foresight more accurate and comprehensive” (p. 145). There must have been some indications of the damaging climate in French class, which might have been perceived by a more transformative leader who practiced greater self-reflection.

Instructional Supervision

A greater awareness of the toxicity in Mme. Russo’s class might have been achieved through an application of instructional supervision from Principal Plum. Check-ins, both formal and informal, should have been a practice throughout the year at Pinetree Elementary with all staff, and even more so for new hires such as Mme. Russo. Glickman et al. (2005) outline propositions leading to optimal teacher development, two of which are highly relevant to this case. The first is Proposition 2: Effective supervision responds to and fosters teachers’ stage development (Glickman et al., 2005). As Mme. Russo’s antagonistic manner toward her students was not an infrequent occurrence, there were likely reasons underlying her actions. Perhaps this was an example of poor classroom management in reaction to undesired student behavior, or actions arising from insecurities of feeling herself to be the only rookie teacher in the intermediate division. Whatever the reason, effective instructional supervision from Principal Plum should have responded to Mme. Russo’s area of need at this stage in her teaching career.

Proposition 7 states that Effective administration and supervision foster teacher motivation (Glickman et al., 2005). Based on the relationship we are able to perceive between Mme. Russo and her Grade 8 students, it is clear that Proposition 2 would be a success necessary prior to number 7. As her capability improved, however, there would be potential for Principal Plum to foster Mme. Russo’s motivation in further enhancing her pedagogy. Perhaps encouraging her to pursue leadership opportunities within the school, or providing additional professional development, would also lead to greater self-efficacy and confidence. The process of teacher maturation is sometimes compared to Maslow’s (1954) theories of human motivation, implying that progression occurs when “lower-stage needs have been met and when there is encouragement to go beyond competence by providing a sense of achievement, responsibility, recognition, and advancement so that teachers can choose to improve their instruction” (Glickman et al., 2005, p. 69). Unfortunately, it is clear from the results of Grad Night that Mme. Russo was not inspired to this level of motivation from her administration.

Personal Leadership Resources

A model used in Ontario to guide principal’s work is The Ontario Leadership Framework (Ontario Institute for Education Leadership, 2013) outlining successful practices at both the school and system levels. Provided within this framework is a section entitled Personal Leadership Resources which contains descriptors for social, cognitive, and psychological resources. The application of these resources likely served Principal Plum well in her 3-year tenure at Pinetree Elementary; however, a few stand out as potential areas for improvement. Under the Social Resources, the ability to perceive emotions through nonverbal cues is a skill that she should consider reflecting upon. While she was fortunate to have the combined experience of the intermediate teachers at her school, it is her responsibility to avoid complacency. Strong authentic leaders demonstrate confidence in the capability of their staff members, yet also remain vigilant in gauging the mood and conditions of the school community.

Following this, the aptitude for proactivity, listed under the Psychological Resources, would have allowed Principal Plum to address the concerns in French class as they transpired, rather than reacting to the unfortunate situation during the graduation ceremony. The ability to be proactive allows one to show “initiative and perseverance in bringing about meaningful change” (Ontario Institute for Education Leadership, 2013, p. 22). Shields (2010) also lists this strength as a component of transformative leadership.

The close relationship between ethical decision-making and emotional resources is highlighted in the case study by Tenuto et al. (2016). While this case involves the administrator’s part in teaching supervision, the strengths of self-reflection and managing emotions play a key role in the interactions between the principal and her staff. Being able to recognize negative emotions within oneself and act in emotionally appropriate ways are crucial to maintaining the ethical lens required in authentic leadership.

Bristol et al. (2015) go further in emphasizing the value of reflective practice in their case study about Mrs. Greer, who “characterized herself as a leader of leaders, not a leader of followers” (p. 219). Recognizing the merits of self-reflection, Mrs. Greer understood that it would be beneficial for her staff members to embrace the same practice. In prompting her teachers to strengthen these practices, they developed a shared responsibility in shaping the future success of their school. Had Principal Plum adopted a similar approach, perhaps Mme. Russo’s interactions with her students might have improved, thereby avoiding the Grad Night surprise.

Classroom Activities

1. Think about your own school. Either with a partner, or alone, devise a plan that you, as an administrator could put into place that would deter this from happening again. Is it a memo to teachers? Is it a group PA Day activity? How could you positively combat the issues raised in this case study if it were to happen to you?

2. As a future leader, discuss with others what your opinions are on leadership, communication and decision-making. How do you share your thoughts with your staff and peers?

3. Imagine Principal Plum’s superintendent requests a follow-up meeting with her on the afternoon after Grad Night. Role-play their interaction with regard to disciplining Braydon and Diego.

4. With others in your group, brainstorm how you could approach the community after this happened to you. Using the approach of restorative justice, how could you work with the students and staff involved to restore their relationship with the community? Detail specific steps you would take along the way.

5. Think back to Proposition 2: Effective supervision responds to and fosters teachers’ stage development from Glickman et al. (2005). Outline the strategies available to Principal Plum that might foster Mme. Russo’s development as a teacher.

Discussion Questions

1. How and when might Principal Plum approach Mme. Russo to further discuss the situation? Should a Union representative become involved?

2. What forms might discipline take, especially considering the short time-line available? What impact might these forms of discipline have on Braydon and Diego as they enter secondary school?

3. Should Principal Plum follow-up with an address to all parents and families, regardless of whether they noticed the inappropriate words in the video presentation?

4. A common component of many leadership paradigms is the socioemotional ability to perceive and recognize emotions in others. Discuss this ability from the perspective of Principal Plum’s relationships with her staff, student, and supervisor. Where was she strong? Lacking?

5. What would you identify to be the most urgent challenge facing Principal Plum at the conclusion of Grad Night? Justify your answer.