Ethics Analysis

Ethics Analysis- Newpoint Schools Student’s Name Institution Course Number and Name Instructor’s Name Date Ethics Analysis- Newpoint Schools As an institution that shapes societal behaviors and attitudes, the education system is expected to lead in promoting responsibility and accountability. The case by Anderson (2019) reveals that Newpoint schools have been at the center of a cheating scandal where teachers were pressured to manipulate attendance records and grades of students in order to continue receiving bonuses from the state. Reports of whistleblowers, teachers, students, and parents reveal a myriad of ethical violations in the schools, including safety breaches, sexually inappropriate behaviors, and unqualified teachers (Anderson, 2019). Dilemma: given the allegations and the potential impact they might have on parents, teachers, and education, should Escambia County School Board terminate the charters of the Newpoint schools or allow them to continue? While the virtue, deontological, and utilitarian frameworks would terminate the charters for the schools, the care ethics framework would recommend working together with key stakeholders to ensure the continuity of the schools. Facts of the Case Detailed allegations have been made by parents, students, teachers, and whistle-blowers about the ethical violations present in Newpoint schools. After investigations, Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas has recommended to the School Board that the contracts of the schools be terminated based on fourteen documented violations. The parent company of Newpoint schools, Newpoint Education Partners, denies any wrongdoing and emphasizes that the accusations were politically driven. The company insists that the schools had undergone some changes before the termination recommendation. The School Board is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to terminate the charters for the schools Virtue Framework The virtue framework postulates that ethical actions are those that match ideal human values (Maricopa.edu, 2019). As elaborated by Ferrell et al. (2021), a moral action should not only consider the requirements of conventional morality but also what a person with a good moral character would do. Key elements of the virtue framework include honesty, empathy, and integrity. A person who espouses honesty would seek to tell the truth because it is a valuable element of human communication (Ferrell et al., 2021). A good moral character would shun vices such as arrogance, dishonesty, pridefulness, and sensitivity, among others (Waggoner and Mangum, 2023). In deciding whether or not to terminate the charters of Newpoint schools, the School Board would consider which of the two possible actions is more aligned with conventional morality as per the virtue framework. They would ask what a person of good moral character would do. From the case, it is clear that the crimes committed by the schools are not consistent with virtues such as truthfulness, fairness, trust, and moral leadership (Ferrell et al., 2021). In fact, the behaviors of the schools are characterized by vices such as arrogance, dishonesty, and pridefulness. Failing to maintain accurate records of students’ attendance and violations of state and federal law are examples of the vices committed by the schools. In this sense, it can be deduced that the School Board would consider terminating the schools' charters based on virtue framework. The schools' actions of manipulating attendance reco...