This article argues that the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) creates what Sergiovanni et al. (2004) term "turbulent policy demands" which foster ethical dilemmas for principals. It focuses on the impact of the implementation of NCLB on students with disabilities, as it appears that there is discontinuity between the principles of this Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the preeminent federal law governing the education of students with disabilities. Although IDEA is student centered and emphasizes the individual child, NCLB is an example of standards-based reform, which emphasizes uniform learning standards and outcomes rather than the individual child (McDonnell, McLaughlin, & Morison, 1997). The paper examines IDEA, NCLB, and the 1997 Reauthorization of IDEA in regard to: (1) teacher qualifications; and (2) the ethics of justice, care, critique, and the profession. It concludes by discussing how to respond ethically in the face of turbulent policy demands.