Just leadership in Multicultural School – Head Teacher’s Ethical Device

1. Just leadership in Multicultural School – Head Teacher’s Ethical Device Conference on Diversity and Global Education Thematic Group: Intercultural education, social justice and equity 25.4.2008 Katri Kuukka Educational Consultant, Doctoral Student Katri Kuukka

2. Aim and Background of the Study • Working title: Head teachers’ ethical thinking and leadership in multicultural school • social justice seen here as one aspect of virtue, virtues seen as part of normative ethics > schools seen as normative communities • multicultural school seen here as a school with a considerable amount of pupils of immigrant background • Why? • own professional experience during 13 years in Helsinki City Education Dpt – also a general phenomenon in globalizing, pluralistic western societes: • schools have become more diverse • demands and needs of different interest groups have become more diversified • nature of school administration has altered dramatically • teachers and head teachers need advice – and device for ethical discussion and practice in school context • Why head teachers? • key figures of the school: responsible power holders, treasurers, pedagogical leaders…and essential moral agents? • “Values, morals and ethics are the very stuff of leadership and administrative life”. (Hodgkinson 1991) • educational leadership has a moral purpose (Fullan and Hargreaves 1991; Greenfield 2004) Katri Kuukka

3. Head teachers’ ethical framework ”In a multicultural education situation the educator can or cannot believe in god. S/He can trust on the reality of the values or consider them as social constructions. This doesn’t effect the basic task of value education. - - From now on we are ”doomed” to multiculturalism, which is not the end of the value education but a new possibility”. (Huttunen, Tynjälä & Heikkinen 2003) (italics mine) Head teachers are also ”doomed” to • follow the rules • The Constitution of Finland • Basic Education Act, Basic Education Decree • Government Decree on the General National Objectives and Distribution of Lesson Hours in Basic Education • National Core Curriculum (included ”acceptance of multiculturalism” as one basic value) • other acts, decrees, procedures, guidelines • implement school curriculum • action plan, annual report • manage and lead • rules of procedure Katri Kuukka

4. Value Basisdefined in municipality-specific guidelines In the schools of of Helsinki city • everyone has the right to culture and good education, to grow as a learner, and as a human being; • we act in a democratic way so that everyone has the possibility to grow up as a responsible member of the community and to influence the common matters; • we promote equality, respect everyone’s human dignity and take care of friendly atmosphere, safety and well-being together; • we value Finnish culture and everyone’s own cultural background and promote the interaction between the cultures; • we don’t allow any kind of violence, discrimination or racism; • we undertake to promote sustainable development and learn to take responsibility of the environment and the future. Katri Kuukka

5. Head Teacher’s Ethics • professional • legislative framework • ethical codes > as civil servant, as qualified teacher, as head teacher • personal • values, beliefs, assumptions, attitudes • history, experiences as an individual • mindset/worldview • teleolocigal – what’s good > the purpose of the school • deontological – what’s right > the normative culture of the school • consequental – what’s next > the most useful solutions for the school (Launonen 2006) • intertwined, situational, reflexive/non-reflexive… Katri Kuukka

6. Existing Device • Guideline documents • Multicultural education plan • Aspects of the tuition of Muslim pupils • Aspects of the assessment of second language speakers • Interpretation services • Pedagogical advisors for • preparatory tuition • FLS-tuition • mother tongue and Islamic religion tuition • pupil welfare • Financial support for teaching materials added to school budgets • In-service training for teachers, head teachers and other school staff • On-line information on the web-site Katri Kuukka

7. Leadership in school – as it should be • Ethical (Sergiovanni, Starratt, Greenfield) • Transformational (Leithwood & Jantzi) • Authentic (Begley) • Distributed (Spillane) • Democratic (Woods) • Responsible (Maak & Pless, Starratt) • Sustainable (Hargreaves & Fink, Fullan) • For diversity (Lumby & Coleman) • For social justice (Blackmore) • ”Social justice scholarship in educational leadership emphasizes moral values, justice, respect, care, and equity; always in the forefront is a consciousness about the impact of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and disability on schools and students’ learning.” (Cambron-McCabe & McCarthy2005) Katri Kuukka

8. Problem Statement • What kind of ethical thinking head teacher is expressing in his/her discourse? • What kind of leadership head teacher's action is representing? • What kind of ethical dilemmas are typical in multicultural school? • What kind of values head teacher expresses? • What kind of vision of a multicultural school is head teacher's thinking connected to? Katri Kuukka

9. Data • thematic interviews (with a pinch of in-depth approach) in 2004 • 14 female and 11 male heads, of whom • 20 at lower lever, 2 at upper level, and 3 at comprehensive schools • ~25 % of municipal comprehensive schools • content analysis Katri Kuukka

10. Themes Theme # 1: Multiculturalism in school • definitions of multiculturalism • multiculturalism as a challenge and a resource in the school • multiculturalism staff requirements Theme # 2: Multicultural school • atmosphere and working culture • the joint responsibility of educating: school, care takers • challenges, dlemmas, conflicts linked to multiculturalism • surprising/not anticipated situations > solutions • what would you do -questions Theme # 3: Head teacher’s role • involvement in various dilemmas • courses of action • required characteristics • survival strategies Theme # 4: The vision of a multicultural school • definitions of an optimal multicultural school • this school after ten years • the task of the school in a multicultural society - head’s role? Katri Kuukka

11. (Ethical) Dilemmas Faced • violence • threatening with violence • troublesome _individuals_ • arguments/conflicts between ethnic groups • religious fanatism and absoluteness • participation in art and physical education • underestimation of female teacher • prejudices towards psychological tests and special education Katri Kuukka

12. Background of Solutions • Appealing • Finnish school legislation: ”I had all the piles in front of me and I read the basic education act…which subjects includes in lower level and so forth…” • school curriculum: ”We’ve said that you participate [music lessons]. Period. It is said in the curriculum and your teacher takes care that your religion is not insulted.” • municipal guidelines: ”And then we went through those text, digged on the net, and after thet is wasn’t a problem any more, when he realized that no one is converting his child to anything…” • Holy Quran: ”Show me the point where it’s said that a pupil cannot attend music lessons.” • Flexibility • ”Physical education is one thing…We have been drifted to adapt, so if that is so tough thing, the child moves according to circumstances…” • Personal reflection • ”I think that it cannot be any woman’s choice that even her eyes are covered.” • ”In the meantime you just think that both ow us want the best of the child…But we just have difference in views of it..” Katri Kuukka

13. Actions Towards Just/Ethical Leadership • preventive actions • teaching arrangements • flexible structures • support of mother tongue teacher • external support • experts • education department • multidisciplinary networks • professional apathy (Airaksinen 1993) • slow knowledge - patient leading (Claxton 1999, Hargreaves & Fink 2006) Katri Kuukka

14. References • Airaksinen, T. (ed.) 1993. Ammattien ja ansaitsemisen etiikka. 3. painos. Helsinki: Yliopistopaino. • Fullan, M.G. and Hargreaves, A. 1991. What’s Worth Fighting For? Working together for your school. Australian Council for Educational Administration, Hawthorn. • Cambron-McCabe, N. & M. McCarthy, M. 2005. Educating school leaders for social justice. Educational Policy, Vol. 19, No. 1, 201-222. • Claxton, G. 1999. Hare brain, tortoise mind: Why intelligence increases when you think less. Hopewell, NJ: Ecco Press. • Greenfield, W.D. 2004. Moral leadership in schools, Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 42 No. 2, pp. 174-96. • Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. 2006. Sustainable leadership. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass. • Huttunen, R., Tynjälä, P. & Heikkinen, H.L.T. 2003 Rakentavasti konstruktivismista. Puolimatkan kriittisen kritiikin kritiikki. Kasvatustieteen päivät 20.11.2003. Katri Kuukka