ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 grounds our understanding of students’ best interests in both wisdom and knowledge literature within the field. The chapter builds and expands on Chapters 2 and 3 by considering: (1) how students’ interests are portrayed in philosophical and educational theory literature that elevate the concept of interests as a weighty moral consideration; (2) a review of empirical findings about the field of practice and what research tells us about school leaders’ decision making and students’ best interests; and (3) how both traditions may be drawn together to provide further insights into a professional ethic that puts children first.
