This qualitative case study examined the roles autonomy played in how principals in one Massachusetts district learned to prioritize curricular goals and to support instruction during a time of crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. A Communities of Practice (CoP) theory and the concepts of boundaries and brokering served as a theoretical framework to…

The COVID-19 pandemic has immeasurably impacted nearly every aspect of schools from day-to-day operating procedures to the way students attend classes to curricular and instructional matters. In the early stages of the pandemic, while COVID-19 spread across the country, the large-scale, nationwide closure of schools in March 2020 forced educators,…

In the spring of 2020, the United States experienced a nationwide closure of schools, and all educators had to shift their instructional modality from in-person to distance learning without warning. The problem is the COVID-19 pandemic prohibited in-person learning due to state- issued stay-at-home orders. The purpose of this basic qualitative…

Problem and Purpose: Without time for preparation, COVID-19 caused a wave of operational and structural changes that encumbered much of the time and energy educational leaders previously spent on moving the district forward. The ripple effect of the pandemic exposed new challenges in teaching and learning, requiring superintendents and principals…

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of educators across Massachusetts when schools closed their doors to in-person learning for the school year. Online teaching and learning became the norm as teachers quickly adapted their lessons for virtual classrooms. Student teachers were among these educators, finding themselves…

The health, social, political, and economic crises that had national and global impacts in 2020 and 2021 brought renewed attention to systemic inequalities in public education and challenged school superintendents to reconsider how they involve others in addressing those disparities. This narrative study explored how the convergent crises and…

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, which led to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a catalyst for major changes for schools in America and worldwide. Specifically, the delivery of instruction through the traditional in-person learning model. In Massachusetts, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered lawmakers to propose…

Human capital theory suggests that lifetime income and socioeconomic status is a function of investments in human capital (Becker, 1962 & 1994; Becker & Tomes, 1986; Tomes, 1981). More recent developments show that human capital accumulation depends on mental health (Fletcher, 2008), in addition to ability, and access to resources to…

Every demographic in the American education sector has been impacted by the forced migration from face-to-face to online learning caused by COVID-19. This research looks at six faculty members' perceptions regarding their views on social presence and what influences or drives their instructional practices at Nichols College. Social presence is a…

The COVID-19 pandemic has arguably been one of the most consequential public health events of the modern era, claiming the lives of millions of people worldwide and creating extensive economic, social, and political disruptions. The public and private education sector was particularly impacted, with schools closing their doors and shifting to…