The role of a school district superintendent demands a balance of professional leadership and political astuteness. Individuals in this role possess distinct skills, values, and beliefs essential for navigating its complexities. This mixed-method phenomenological study employs self-reported values, decision-making styles, and interviews to explore…

Women are underrepresented in the superintendency of public schools. They are also underrepresented in the research about superintendents. Researchers report that male superintendents have been studied in terms of demographic makeup, stresses, career paths, leadership traits, and other indicators of success. Only in recent years has there been a…

The paper is an exploration of dual-role school district leadership in a small rural state. Dual-role leaders are individuals who fulfill all the roles of both the school superintendent and principal. Smaller rural school districts are the districts that often utilize a dual-role superintendent and principal model. The position of principal and…

This phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of Arizona school superintendents in their capacity as instructional leaders. The study bridges the gap in comprehending the experiences and perspectives of superintendents in Arizona schools. The study's findings identified the beliefs in teaching and learning, the challenges and barriers…

This qualitative phenomenological study focused on the lived experiences of novice superintendents in Tennessee. Novice superintendents were operationally defined as superintendents within their first 3 years of performing the responsibilities and duties of the role. The researchers also examined the role the Tennessee Organization of School…

The purpose of this study was to explore through the Value Creation Framework (VCF) how selected school leaders socially constructed value in the TeleED professional learning environment. Merriam and Tisdell's (2016) case study methodology guided the research design as it encompassed a qualitative case study. Social constructivism was used as the…

"Let it be known to all who enter here that Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever-present Teacher in its classes, the model for its children, the inspiration for its staff." - Anonymous. This study explored the journeys and experiences of women leaders in Catholic secondary schools, focusing on their challenges and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of Black/ African American women aspiring, serving, or having previously served in the role of Superintendent of Schools in the State of Texas. Additionally, the study investigated the perceived barriers and challenges that impacted the participant's ascent to the superintendency, and…

Emotional intelligence equips leaders to exercise self-management, self-awareness, social awareness and manage relationships. Furthermore, emotional intelligence skills correlate with various leadership skills. Emotional intelligence supports their ability to develop trusting relationships that inspire others to perform collaboratively. It also…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how executive coaches describe the strategies used with their public-school superintendent clients. The theoretical foundation of Positive Psychology, specifically PERMA+4, framed the questioning and brought context to the executive coach's decisions. The lack of research from the…

This study investigates the impact of gender bias on female superintendents' careers on Long Island. Despite comprising the majority of teachers, women hold a significantly lower proportion of leadership positions. The research employed a mixed-method approach with quantitative and qualitative phases to explore this disparity. The findings reveal…

The superintendency can be stressful, and increasingly some individuals are superintendents for more than one district. This mixed methods study focuses on the shared superintendency and stress drawing on a combination of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and follow up interviews. While no statistically significant difference between single…

COVID-19 led to the closing of all Oklahoma schools in March of 2020, and the situation put public school superintendents in the position of having to communicate with constituents in the middle of an unforeseen crisis. The communication strategies superintendents use in times of crisis are crucial to student and staff safety, as well as…

The purpose of this study was to explore and analyze how district superintendents foster and build relationships with school principals through their interactions to support and nurture strong leadership. From a transformational lens, I explored how the strength of such connectedness builds bridges to leadership sustainability. Reflections of…

The purpose of the present study was to explore the nature of hiring a public school superintendent in a context, which challenged school board trustees to select a particular type of leader. The researcher's intent was to study three former school board trustees who were initially involved in what they considered a complex change process,…