Issues of ch.6 in "The Ethics of Teaching"

Talk about a major dilemma. After reading the chapter titled "Democracy, Professionalism and Teaching With Integrity" I got a somewhat rude awakening of a scenario that is likely to happen to us all at one point or another. On one hand, you have a second grade math teacher who finds it unbeneficial in every way to teach fractions to her students. On the other hand, you have a principal who is working to carry out her duties as an administrator accountable to a district committee. You also have the conflict that exists within Irene Canebrake, which is: "What should I do? I really do not want to teach fractions to my students because it is unnecessary. But I know I have an obligation to the board of education to teach what they have agreed is appropriate." Doing the ethical thing in this situation puts Ms. Canebrake between a rock and a hard place to say the least. If she does not comply to what the board mandates, she could lose her job due to insubordination. If she does comply, her students will be the losers. It is important to know that Ms. Canebrake is an experienced teacher and knows what will work and what will not. Strike and Soltis talk about how we should explore our moral reasoning and feelings in making a decision on what to do in a situation such as this. Along with that is "the human desire to be free, to be unencumbered by duties and obligations" as is mentioned on p. 100. If this is the human desire, then the teacher should do what she feels is right, even if it means losing her job. The teacher seems to be in a dual role, in which both roles work against each other. In one role, she is responsible for educating her students on what is appropriate for their grade level and what is going to be beneficial to their education. In the other role, she is a public servant subject to the rules and limitations placed upon her by the system. Teachers are not involved in an autonomous profession, which can certainly come in conflict with their personal values and code of ethics. They are subject to the law, in this case. The law here can certainly bring a teacher's integrity into the question. The dilemma here is the question of "Who is right? Who is ethical in this case?" Unfortunately if you look at this from a legal rather than moral standpoint, the board of education is right. Teachers are to be committed to their students' best interests, yet at the same time are obligated to comply to the duties and obligations placed upon them by the democracy. I cannot emphasize what an internal conflict this can cause. It seems that professionalism can be compromised here because it is unethical and unprofessional to teach students a subject that will bring them harm and be a detriment to their educational process at this particular stage. Yet again, they are bound by law to do so. How in the world do you get around a conflict such as this I wonder.