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…

Background: Though approximately 80% of teachers are women, they hold only about 50% of all principalships, and just a quarter of superintendent positions (Finnan and McCord, 2017; Robinson et al., 2017; Tienken, 2021; White, 2023). When women do take on leadership positions, evidence suggests they tend to work in districts serving students with…

This article aims to explore educational infrastructures for superintendents' and deputy superintendents' professional development and to analyse what kind of professional development these infrastructures bolster. The article builds on a qualitative case study focusing on the central municipal level in Sweden. Findings are based on data from…

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…

Addressing the urgent challenges of school leadership in our divided, post-pandemic landscape, "The Governance Core 2.0" is an essential guide for school trustees and superintendents dedicated to making a meaningful difference in their districts. Davis Campbell, Michael Fullan, and Babs Kavanaugh provide useful tools and techniques to…

Expertise about how best to address the challenges schools face does not reside solely in the central office. Columnist Joshua P. Starr discusses how district leaders should rethink their roles to ensure that they are focused on the work that only they can do. Some tasks will be better suited to leaders at the school level, and sometimes expertise…

Catholic schooling in the United States is suffering from a persistent enrollment crisis that has triggered the need for system-wide organizational reforms. However, most of the changes that the sector has experienced has taken place in individual schools making decisions about how to operationally sustain their individual school community. In…

The issue of school safety has been interrogated as school shootings have occurred multiple times each year in the United States. This devastating reality has captured the attention of many throughout the United States. School leaders have implemented strategies to increase school safety, including the creation of practices to deter shooting…

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…

Purpose: The study aimed to explore the authority and power of kindergarten superintendents in public education to elucidate their leadership dynamics. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Israeli kindergarten teachers about the authority and power of their superintendents. Thematic analysis was used to…

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…