In the face of unprecedented challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resilience and adaptability of educational systems worldwide. At the heart of this turmoil, the critical relationship between boards of education and superintendents has emerged as a focal point for both scrutiny and improvement. This dissertation examines the dynamics…

Children's environments, experiences, and relationships drive how they learn and develop--more so than their genes. This article discusses how education leaders can help transform the antiquated U.S. education system into one that drives toward equity and prepares all students for thriving in school and in life. Informed by recent advances in the…

The 21st century places significant demands on our educational system. It is an opportune time to re-imagine the mission, operations, and skills expected of school district offices. The focus of this study was on the school district's role in strengthening principals' instructional leadership capacity for improving educational outcomes. Using a…

The author presents a summary of the changing role of the traditional superintendent within the United States through the lens of how this work can be challenged or encouraged by the relationship with her or his respective board. The author emphasizes how the evolving roles of both the superintendent and school board member have contributed to the…

By the time a child graduates from high school, they will have spent an estimated 15,600 hours at school. Because a significant amount of children's daily water intake comes from school water fountains, ensuring their access to safe drinking water at school is essential for their overall health. And one key health challenge that schools across the…

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented education equity crisis in California. K-12 schools continue to remain closed and it is yet unclear if they will re open in the fall. Similarly, the University of California and California's Community Colleges have not yet announced a systemwide decision, but the California State University's…

Neoliberal discourse dominated education policy for decades and fueled reform movements with lasting effects. Through a critical lens this qualitative case study explored policy direction, the influences that shaped multiple years of reform initiatives and the impact of these changes in one Canadian province. Data sources including policy…

Schools seeking to develop students' social, emotional, and academic skills should consider service learning as one way to help students apply those skills. As of the 2017-18 school year, 37 states and the District of Columbia required or encouraged school districts to offer community service education and service-learning programs. This NASBE…

District and school leaders face the challenge of designing and implementing supports for immigrant newcomers who have recently arrived in the US, speak little English, and are unfamiliar with the US school system. This study draws on 117 interviews with educators in six purposefully-sampled school districts across the country to examine the…

Charter schools have thrust state boards of education into new roles. Some directly authorize charters, some do so only on appeal, and some do neither. This article examines a relatively recent addition to this task list: evaluation and oversight of charter authorizers, the entities charged with approving and monitoring charter schools.

States, districts, and schools across the country are forming "networked improvement communities" to address problems of practice, make changes based on data, and make connections across schools. These networks build capacity to improve schools, ensure effective change processes are in place, and make it possible to bring innovations to…

District-level directors, principals, and human resource personnel can bring important viewpoints and information in assisting the school board and superintendent during the teacher negotiations process. Unfolding in this case study are the myriad pressures brought forth to the key players in the process, the negotiating process of interest-based…

Construction and maintenance of school facilities are big cost drivers for schools, and the quality of school facilities can make a difference in student learning and health. Notably, school building construction is the second-highest capital expenditure of state and local funds, trailing only investments in infrastructure like roads. Ensuring…

Negotiation is a process wherein decisions are made between parties with different points of view and possibly conflicting interests (Caputo, 2019). Little is known about how women experience negotiation for salary and compensation. Studies associated with gender and negotiations have focused on the process or outcomes of the negotiation. While…

Following the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act for the 21st Century (Perkins V) in the summer of 2018, state education leaders are crafting four-year plans to implement the law, which are due to the U.S. Department of Education next spring. They ought to take full advantage of the flexibilities Perkins V has to…