8 Journal of School Leadership Volume 18—January 2008 STEPHANIE PAUL DOSCHER ANTHONY H. NORMORE The Moral Agency of the Educational Leader in Times of National Crisis and Conflict ABSTRACT: Many researchers have called for educational leaders to develop a moral grounding for their work. This essay begins a discussion of how Starratt’s (2005) spiraling framework of moral responsibility represents a process through which educational leaders can evolve from taking a transactional approach to problem solving, to using moral and transformational means of resolving contro- versial issues. In pursuit of a special ethics of the education profession, Starratt poses five domains of moral responsibility: as human being, citizen and public servant, educator, educational administrator, and educational leader. In this essay, the authors apply each domain to the ethical analysis of dilemmas of ed- ucational leadership, specifically those brought forth by current national crises and conflict (i.e., Hurricane Katrina, war in Iraq, and September 11 terrorist at- tacks), in order to reveal archetypal behaviors of educational leaders as proac- tive moral agents. Educational leaders are motivated by a sense of duty to leave the world a better place than it was before they arrived. An internal moral compass di- rects them to assume tasks, styles, and behaviors commensurate with their beliefs regarding right and wrong, virtue and vice, and social responsibil- ity. Much as a ship must have a compass and rudder to reach its destina- tion on a stormy sea, an educator must likewise be guided by personal, thoughtful, considered action to attain personal and organizational goals (Brooks & Normore, 2005). Leadership in any endeavor is a moral task but even more so for educa- tional leaders, for their behaviors are commentaries on how things should Address correspondence to Stephanie Paul Doscher, Associate Director, Office of Global Learning Initiatives, Florida International University, 11200 S. W. 8th Street, University Park, GL 470, Miami, FL 33199. E-mail: stephanie.doscher1@fiu.edu.