Since at least the publication of "A Nation at Risk" (1983), the United States has used competition and top-down approaches in seeking student achievement in the country. Twenty years ago, to create a pathway for the lowest achieving schools in the country to have a clear path for improvement, the turnaround school movement was initiated, bringing with it dollars linked to clear criteria for change, including a change in leadership and a number of mandates. To date, very few successes have born out of this movement. This study investigated the lived experiences of women who serve as school and district in turnaround settings. Using narrative inquiry and reflexive thematic analysis, this study elevated the stories of these women to create a counternarrative to the reform movement. Using a feminist lens, this study highlighted the impact of paternalistic approaches to reform on the women who lead in turnaround, as well as sought to understand how education might move forward in new ways. The themes that emerged from the research were: (1) The system is giving us the results it was designed to give us. (2) Relational power is real, but not respected by the system. (3) Women cannot lead unless at the table and they are shushed at the table. (4) Women leaders have a parasitic relationship with turnaround. (5) Lived experience was incongruent with leadership learnings and best practices. This study provides insight as to why turnaround continues to fail. It is also consistent with previous research about women leaders. The findings ask the reader to consider listening and lifting up the voices of those within the system to create a better system. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]