Inequities and Ethical Dilemmas Beyond the Classroom: Joseph’s Story

ABSTRACT

This essay considers school and external factors that influenced a teacher’s decision to pass a high school student, thus allowing him to graduate high school. I explore my role in understanding and then enacting change within the classroom. This article prompts educators to self-reflect on their positionality, moral decision-making, and culturally relevant pedagogies to address inequities within their institutions. This self-study is example of research that informs teachers about the complexities of ethical and moral decision making in the classroom.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethical dilemmas
• decision-making
• culturally relevant pedagogy
• teachers
• positionality
• systemic racism
• self-study
• equity and inequity
• safe spaces
• self-reflection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. This is a pseudonym for the school district.

2. All names are pseudonyms.