Ethical decision making by school leaders in a period of neoliberal reform

School leaders and their leadership teams are involved in the process of decision making on a daily basis. Their work is often complex and arduous as they deal with a range of competing demands from stakeholders who include parents, staff, students, community groups, employing authorities and often other principals. Researchers in the field of ethical decision making have included metaphors such as ‘minefield’ and ‘battlegrounds’ in their writing to describe the complexity and dangerous nature of the work in which principals involve themselves when making decisions. The work is ‘dangerous’ because stakeholders are often upset with the outcomes of the decision-making processes, which they may not support. Their disquiet can lead to further and continuous conflict. The difficult situations and ethical dilemmas faced by school leaders are becoming more complex as both state and federal levels of government in Australia seek to exert more direct and indirect influence on schools, their leadership, management and accountability. Australia is not immune from recent major educational trends evident elsewhere in the Western world. The impact of market ideologies and neoliberal reform agendas are explored in the context of moves towards greater localised decision-making and governance in the Australian school sector. I have undertaken field work throughout this doctoral program to explore the ways in which schools can incorporate professional learning in decision making into their professional practice, the role that ethical decision making can play in nurturing leadership capacity at all levels of the school organisation, and the role that effective ethical decision-making practices can play in building dynamic and transparent school cultures. To support and nurture ethical decision-making practices in schools, I have provided conference presentations, created an Ethical Decision Making Toolkit of scenarios, designed and implemented an Ethical Decision Making Course for School Leaders, delivered workshops, created vodcasts, and facilitated Aspiring Leaders Network Meetings. These workshops and presentations have utilised frameworks of ethical practice drawn from the writings which the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) have produced to guide public sector understanding and best practice in transparent and ethical decision making. For this Professional Practice Doctorate, I have created a portfolio which is in seven parts. The portfolio is introduced by an Overarching Narrative that is followed by three scholarly papers and three professional practice initiatives. The scholarly papers provide an understanding of key issues and research. They address ethical decision making, appropriate professional learning for school leaders and the challenges of leadership in an era of significant generational change. The professional practice initiatives address educational policy making in the context of local decision making and highlight the practical initiatives I have created and implemented to support leaders in their daily leadership practices. The seven parts of this portfolio reflect my professional journey as a senior departmental officer working with schools in an era which has seen many experienced school leaders retire and younger generations of leaders assume the challenging role of educational leader with its myriad responsibilities. The portfolio raises significant questions which relate to the decision making and problem solving of leaders, the nature of succession planning and the nature of professional learning that best prepares and supports educational leaders for the challenges and dilemmas they face. My research confirms the value of school leaders and their leadership teams acquiring an understanding of ethical decision-making skills to enhance their decision making and problem solving in an era of greater localised decision making in schools