Dear Dr. Stephanie Feeney and Dr.

Nancy Freeman,
My name is Catie Higgins and I am writing to you in response to the Focus on
Ethics column entitled, Dilemma: A Difficult Working Relationship. Below is a
detailed list of the steps I followed in order to arrive at the answer to the question
What should the ethical early childhood educator do?
I have narrowed down the problem as, two co-teachers, Terry and Joy that are
not seeing eye to eye on things. One of the coworkers, Terry, is disrespectful and
doesnt listen to the other teachers concerns. Joy has confronted both the teacher
and the administration regarding this issue and nothing has changed or been down.
Joy is wanting to quit her job. To me, this is an ethical issue because Joy and Terry
and the other coworkers that have been involved and the school all have
responsibilities to the children and to one another in order to maintain a safe
environment for all. After going through The Code of Ethics, I have concluded that
the Core Values apply in this particular situation. They are to appreciate childhood
as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle (EECE, p xvi), to respect the
dignity, worth, and uniqueness of the children, family members, and colleagues
(EECE, p xvi), and also to recognize that children and adults achieve their full
potential in the context of relationships that are based on trust and respect (EECE, p
xvi). All of these core values are important because they are based on the antiquity
of the atmosphere of early childhood care and education.
For this dilemma, the stakeholders that are affected are the children, the
families, the co-workers, and the school. The obligations towards the children is to
provide a safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive environment for them. The
obligations towards the families is to have meaningful relationships that are
confidential and enhance their childs development. The obligations towards the coworkers is to maintain a cooperative, respectful, and professional work environment.
Last, the obligations towards the school is to always provide the highest quality of
care.
In order to come up with my solution for this dilemma, I looked through The
Code of Ethics and found guidance. The ethical responsibilities I found for all the
stakeholders are as follows:
Section 1: Ethical responsibilities to the children
Ideals
I-1.5 to create and maintain safe and healthy setting that foster childrens social,
emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and
their contributions (EECE, p xvii)
Principles
P-1.1 above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that
are emotionally damaging, physical harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous,
exploitative, or intimidating to children (EECE, p xviii)
Section 2: Ethical responsibilities to the family
Ideas
I-2.2 to develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the
families we serve (EECE, p xix)
Principles
P-2.11 we shall not engage in or support exploitation of families. We shall not use
our relationship with a family for private use advantage or personal gain, or enter

into relationships with family members that might impair our effectiveness working
with their children (EECE, p xx)
Section 3: Ethical responsibilities to colleagues
Ideals
I-3A.1 to establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality,
collaboration, and cooperation with co-workers (EECE, p xxi)
I-3A.2 to share resources with co-workers, collaborating to ensure that the best
possible early childhood care and education program is provided (EECE, p xxi)
I-3B.1 to assist the program in providing the highest quality of services (EECE, p
xxii)
I-3B.2 to do nothing that diminishes the reputation of the program in which we work
unless it is violating laws and regulations designed to protect children or is violating
the provisions of this Code (EECE, p xxi)
Principles
P-3A.1 we shall recognize the contributions of colleagues to our program and not
participate in practices that diminish their reputations or impair their effectiveness
in working with children and their families (EECE, p xxi)
P-3B.4 if we have concerns about a co-workers behavior, and childrens well-being is
not at risk, we may address the concern with that individual. If children are at risk of
the situation does not improve aster it has been brought to the colleagues
attention, we shall report the colleagues unethical or incompetent behavior to an
appropriate authority (EECE, p xxii)
P-3B.5 when we have a concern about circumstances or conditions that impact the
quality of care and education within the program, we shall inform the programs
administration or, when necessary, other appropriate authorities (EECE, p xxii)
Some solutions that Joy can possibly find is to quit her job, ignore Terry and
continue to work under the stressful and unethical situation, stoop down to Terrys
level and do the same unethical things that she is doing and start doing them to
her, or Joy can continue to have conversations with Terry and meetings with Terry
and the director regarding her concerns and obligations towards the children, the
families, her co-workers, herself, and the school. If nothing changes, I would contact
a higher administrator or a higher candidate and present them with the ethical
dilemma Joy is facing. If nothing happens after that, I would start looking for another
positon at other center/school. As an ethical educator, my solution would be to have
Joy continue to work under the conditions while being in constant contact with Terry
and the director regarding her concerns. If nothing changes or nothing gets
resolved, I would find a higher administrator or candidate to help guide me to the
answers. If nothing happens after that, I would continue trying, giving resources,
having meetings, and showing all parties the ethical code and how it should be
followed. I wouldnt advise Joy to look for another position unless her stress level
and unhappiness start affecting the way she does her job. Because then, Joy isnt
able to maintain a healthy, safe, nurturing, respectful, and responsive environment.
The most important codes that helped guide me to this possible solution is P3B.4 and P-3B.5 (stated above). At this point, Joy has done exactly what she needed
to be done but I would suggest her not giving up just yet. I would suggest for her to
go to a higher or more appropriate authority if her consistency of trying doesnt
have any resolutions. A higher authority would be going to the owner of the
school/center, going to the state department or even going to other community
resources for help and direction.

Thank you for reviewing my process of addressing an ethical issue.

Sincerely,

Catie Higgins