During the 2016 to 2017 school year, the Québec Ministry of Education announced the rollout of a new course, "Financial Education," that would take effect the following September. This sparked a curriculum debate over its potential impact on another Grade 11 course, "Contemporary World." Tasked with preparing educators to teach…

This case describes how, after being hired by a large urban school district in the southern United States, a Black male superintendent's relationship with his stakeholders deteriorated due to disagreements about his equity-based leadership approach. Three incidents occurred during his tenure, which he believed to be racially motivated. Yet, the…

Building trust and loyalty creates an ethical foundation in schools that welcomes openness and sincerity within the community. This case focuses on challenging disciplinary questions in which authentic and transformative leaders/principals, through critical self-reflection, awareness, and discipline, must explore the effects that teachers and…

In this case, readers will learn how the University of New Mexico educational leadership program intentionally created a doctoral cohort that is Indigenous based and focused that included Indigenous and tribal community narrative and feedback in its development. The NALE doctoral cohort program included these same communities as sites for…

A Mayan woman principal taking a position in a historically paternalistic village in Southern Belize faces inevitable challenges due to the cultural structure of the village. In this case, the challenges go beyond cultural norms. Mrs. Po, a Mopan woman leading a school in a Kekchi village, faces challenges related to her role as a teaching…

Using data effectively is a critical skill for the modern school leaders. This case presents a school district where local interest groups are demanding changes regarding school safety and inclusion. Students have the opportunity to respond to a disciplinary equity audit and school climate survey. While interpreting and using data in a meaningful…

At a small rural middle school in the southern United States, two students murdered a teacher, four students, and injured 10 during a shooting spree. This case represents the lived experiences of a school principal, counselor, and community that survived the deadly rampage. The case highlights the challenges that school leaders may face such as…

Inspired by real-life events, this case describes the start of a seemingly solid working relationship between two elementary campus administrators and its demise as the result of inadequate communication and distrust. Initially, these two leaders benefit from differing supervision styles, but these differences eventually lead to increased tension…

This case study is a combination of real-life events that describe the complexity of dual roles within a small school. The administrators in this case have to determine the consequences in response to a student's misbehavior, who happens to be the godchild of the superintendent and the daughter of a middle school principal. The child's high school…

This case focuses on the complexity of change and improvement within schools with a particular emphasis on the role of the principal and a science teacher leader. Although current rhetoric suggests that school improvement should happen quickly and consistently, research indicates that it is difficult, context specific, and incremental. In fact,…

Monica Williams, a beloved counselor of an urban middle school, is shocked to learn that she is being terminated for a comment she made on Facebook. This case was developed for use in an educational leadership course for students to evaluate an educator's right to freedom of speech in relation to social media. Instructors can use the case to…

There is ongoing debate about the benefits and dangers of globalization in education, yet it is not always clear how these dynamics manifest at the school level. Moreover, it is often unclear how leaders shape or respond to these dynamics in their day-to-day practice. This case highlights issues related to school culture and globalization as a…

This case was developed for use in a learning-centered course with a focus on administrative leadership and ethical behavior. This case describes the experience of a new faculty member at Saint Ambrose University, as she discovers a wide range of ethical and management problems in her department. The case unfolds as we track her efforts to deal…

This case study may be used with personnel supervision, school law, and other school leadership courses. It describes the behavior and actions of one teacher toward another. Student discussions can focus on supervision, workplace mobbing, workplace bullying, as well as sexual harassment. Students should focus on a school leader's role in such…

Computer data systems have become a lynchpin to supporting school data use. However, successfully implementing such systems is no easy task. In this case, readers explore the ways in which "technology problems" and "people problems" can be intertwined. The case follows Dr. Molly Winters as she encounters social and…