Background: Branding involves "labeling" (for identification) and "meaning" (for understanding) to a product, service, person, idea, or other entity. We are familiar with "brands" of soft drinks, automobiles, mobile phones, soups, cigarettes, and sports teams, and some brands have greater "market share" than…

This study represents a repeat of Simmons's (1996) study to determine to what extent large schools that are members of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) are conducting board member evaluations of chief administrators 25 years after the original study was conducted. The study involved analyzing the schools by conducting…

Neoliberalism is a pro-capitalist ideology that cycles money and power to the elite class by deregulating or privatizing the public sphere and is fueled by economic exploitation and oppression. This dissertation examines the neoliberal construct at work in the privatization of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) from an ethnographic lens using the…

The narrative of superintendent's leaving school districts shortly after being hired is a national phenomenon with significant impacts on the capacity of educational systems to make progress and improvement. Exacerbated in high need/reform districts, evidence of dysfunction in the relationship between the superintendent and board of education…

In an era of increasing political and social divisiveness, school boards across the country face pressure to maintain effective governance amongst relentless pressure. Most school board members lack the experience to know how to effectively serve, thus, training is a necessary resource to ensure effective board governance and retain board members.…

Differentiated Instruction (DI) is a framework that supports planning for diversity within K-12 classrooms. Research has grown steadily over the past 15 years that explores DI implementation, as well as beliefs and practices. Literature to date has focused heavily on the experiences of educators, with limited attention given to the role of…

There are over 13,000 local school boards in the United States, yet there is little research on these institutions of local government--particularly from a qualitative perspective. This dissertation uses constructivist grounded theory methodology and data from 26 interviews with local school board members in Tennessee to develop three categories…

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore community engagement experiences as perceived by board members, the superintendent, and community members in a high-performing school district in North Texas. Interviews with ten participants (five current school board members, one past school board member, one district superintendent, and…

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…

The positions of the school board and superintendent have been in place for years and in that time not only have the dynamics of education changed, but the societal structures have also evolved. This quantitative study examined the relationships that exist between the school board's engagement in training and professional development and their…

In keeping with the provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated 49-1-201(12), this Annual Statistical and Financial Report for fiscal year 2019-2020, provides an array of information providing statistics about the public school systems in Tennessee. Sections include: (1) Public School Officers; (2) Statistical Summaries; (3) Financial Summaries; and…

This phenomenological study provides insight into the experiences of public-school board directors as they experience, cognitively process, and respond to religious-based reasoning during deliberations on controversial issues while serving in their elected role at school board meetings. Understanding how elected public-school district directors…

Over the last decade the governance of primary and secondary schools in the Netherlands has by no means become simpler. This paper sketches recent policy developments and their consequences for the leadership of Boards of Multiple Schools (BMSs) and their school leaders. Thereof we describe the challenges BMSs in the Netherlands currently face to…

With the pervasiveness of racism, some scholars have interrogated the role of discourse in perpetuating the racial status quo. While research has denoted how prominent leaders and policies advance deficit-laden characterizations of minoritized groups that reify racial hierarchies, how racial discourse is mobilized in day-to-day politics remains…

This article examines the rise of charter schools in New York City through the lens of representation of educators on school governing boards. During its inception in the early 1990s, the charter school movement garnered support from progressives and conservatives alike. Albert Shanker, longtime head of the American Federation of Teachers,…