This case is framed around the personal experience of a faculty member whose dispute with supervisors lead to the resignation of a chair, the eventual firing of a dean, and the loss of good will with key community stakeholders. It focuses on the analysis of an internal grievance process that brings the student to two decision points, namely, (a)…

Anti-Blackness is a critical issue. Recognizing instances of this concept will assist with creating an inclusive and safe school culture for all students. This article discusses racism, instances of microaggressions and racial spotlighting that some Students of Color of experience in their K-12 careers.

In an urban elementary school serving predominantly White and Latinx students, the second-grade teachers created an assignment that asked students to share how their families migrated to the United States. The mother of a Black student met with the teacher to discuss her discomfort with the assignment given that their family descended from…

This case presents how a family-school liaison, Claudia Vasquez, attempts to cultivate deeper relationships between families and a bilingual elementary program. Two challenges that Claudia faces are the multiple roles and responsibilities placed upon her, as well as the lack of support from her school community toward engaging multiply-minoritized…

Principal Harris, a new Black male principal at Merion High School, has found himself under fire for allegedly promoting critical race theory (CRT). He has received several forms of pushback as he navigates district and state mandates, racial trauma, invisible taxes, and microaggressions. Unfortunately, his best intentions are not good enough.…

Millions of students in our schools live with a parent experiencing substance use disorder. Most people with substance use disorder begin using while they are school-age. School personnel are on the frontlines of this crisis; yet our policies, practices, and social norms create barriers to witnessing and healing for these students and families.…

Sam Patrick, a White female superintendent is in her fourth year leading the Douglasville School District, a high-performing, predominantly White suburban district that has a long history of unacknowledged and unchecked racism and racial disparities. Sam is driven to embrace a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda and move the district in…

Despite legal challenges, universities are increasingly using holistic admissions practices to accomplish affirmative action and increased student diversity. The admissions committee of the college of nursing at an elite university grapples with the potential outcomes of adopting a holistic admissions process. The case offers the legal and…

This case illustrates Professor Saitoh's struggles in a middle-management position leading an education committee called the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Committee at a business school in Japan. The committee assessed students' learning outcomes and provided suggestions for curriculum improvement. The school was accredited by the Association to…

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,…

Natural disasters can negatively impact students' educational outcomes and well-being. After a natural disaster, families and communities often rely on schools to foster stability and serve as a conduit to resources. Yet, school principals face many challenges, often with little guidance, in how to best respond to natural disasters. This case…

This study examines issues encountered during a school's first year implementing science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) curriculum. The school year began with multiple changes in leadership, including the appointment of a School Operations Manager and Teacher on Special Assignment, who took on respective roles of principal and…

This case provides opportunities for school leaders, including coaches, to examine ways to lead learning and build teacher capacity. Told from the perspective of a newly hired elementary instructional coach in a suburban district experiencing rapid growth, the intent of this case study is to explore how leaders and coaches can work together to…

This case centers on two early career educators: a principal and teacher struggling to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in their school in the current political context of legislative attacks on critical race theory (CRT) and the simultaneous national Black Lives Matter movement. A talented teacher is reluctantly…

Those tasked with leading large school districts direct incredibly complex organizations in what are often contentious political and social contexts, with powerful stakeholder groups espousing conflicting policy priorities. Because of their high-profile positions, superintendents often face uniquely persistent and powerful resistance and must…