This case explores Coach Rosa's efforts to gain access to teachers' classrooms to support teaching and learning. As Rosa demonstrates, working to gain access is a complex coaching practice and coaches cannot assume that their classroom access at any school is universal. School leaders, including district administrators, principals, coaches, and…

In educational organizations, any situation that disrupts the education process and makes it inoperable is defined as a crisis. This teaching case study is relevant to practicing and prospective principals and administrators because it raises issues related to leading in times of crisis. Specifically, this scenario addresses the role school…

This case asks educational leadership students to consider how immigrant students new to a quickly changing community may interpret subtle messaging of unbelonging and overt xenophobic hostility. Despite her best intentions, the principal in this case struggles to connect with the Latinx students and families who were recent arrivals to the…

The President of Southern Plains University is dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 on-campus that has forced the university to move most of its courses online. Alongside this issue, the country is in a state of social unrest as multiple unarmed African American citizens were killed by local police and White citizens. During these divisive times,…

Decisions about hiring are never easy, especially in education. Sharpwood Elementary School has an open teaching position and the principal is charged with hiring the best candidate. The principal knows that a diverse teaching staff benefits all stakeholders in a school, especially students, and he wants to honor that expectation. The staff really…

An experienced principal transfers schools to rebuild trust in the school culture and community after a recent scandal and declining student achievement scores. A district level supervisor opens a way for Mr. Davie, the incoming principal, to offer middle students advanced classes. The principal believes this is an initiative that will boost…

This case was written for school leaders, specifically for administrators interested in addressing and improving school culture. Often efforts to address toxic culture and organizational change result in resistance, requiring leadership that is capable of influencing and inspiring cultural transformation. However, leaders who embark on these types…

This case describes the dilemma of recently hired assistant principal, Fred Bates, who finds himself in a school with a negative and unsupportive school climate. There are significant trust issues between the teachers and principal. Bates struggles to navigate various obstacles and works to establish positive relationships with both his principal…

At Kingsman University (KU), fraternity and sorority life is as central to campus culture as its athletic teams. Included in that culture are alcohol abuse, mistrust of the institution, and failure to act when a situation turns dire. Furthermore, some people suspect that fraternities and sororities perpetuate racism. Following a near-fatal…

When a struggling high school may be placed on turnaround status during a bid for a school bond, the district considers replacing a beloved principal with a record of low test scores with an unpopular principal whose record shows increased student achievement. The school board must decide whether to prioritize finances, community support, student…

Trauma-informed school practices require enactment of trauma-informed principles including prioritizing students' physical and psychological safety, connection, cultural responsiveness, and student empowerment. These principles frequently challenge teachers' preexisting beliefs about rules, consequences, and the intention behind student behaviors.…

This case focuses on one novice school principal's experience with an elopement incident. School elopement sets the background for this case, and in this situation, the principal sees the need to take action to increase school safety and special needs students' teacher support. The authors enumerate leadership practices and organizational…

Although increasing attention has been given to the disproportionate discipline of Black students in general, the specific needs of Black girls have often been overlooked. This article encourages school leaders to analyze how discipline policies are often problematic for Black girls. The article provides a case narrative to illustrate the issue…

Principal Vanessa Sanchez assumed leadership of a high-need, high-poverty urban school with a mandate from the district superintendent to change the school culture and to build an instructional team aligned to the principal's theory of change. The central dilemma of the case is how to lead organizational change while managing interpersonal…

The story of the past 15 years in U.S. education has been one of fundamental reform and transformation. These changes are felt most acutely in the daily lives of teachers and principals and often have lasting effects on the context of the school community. This case study explores the challenges facing a principal when attempting reform and…