At a large suburban high school in the United States, the first home football game was taking place after missing a full season due to the pandemic. The stands were packed as the school community gathered to celebrate the return to some normalcy. Shortly after the third quarter began, a beloved coach/teacher collapsed on the sideline. Paramedics…

The purpose of this case is to illuminate the nuances of one of the most important roles on a school campus--the role of the assistant principal; with a focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) women assistant principals. This case is for educational leaders interested in understanding the power dynamics between an assistant principal…

Ms. Braun, a new Special Education Director in the Baso Unified School District, is under pressure to curtail district expenditures on special education services. In her quest to understand why special education enrollment has increased, Ms. Braun learns about the challenges students face when accessing physical and mental health services at…

The COVID-19 pandemic plunged education communities into an emergency mode of operation and challenged the pedagogic core of education. Schools across America suddenly lost access to everything essential to their daily educational practices, including face-to-face interactions with students. School administrators scrambled to devise remote…

The Smallville Independent School District case study highlights the challenges of a school district facing the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural-urban divide. The district's socioeconomic status, with a high population of economically disadvantaged families, limited resources, and dependence on grants and local charity, further complicates matters.…

With one in 59 children diagnosed with autism, higher education institutions are experiencing increasing enrollments of autistic students. Furthermore, autistic students are disproportionately more likely to identify as gay and lesbian in their sexual orientation and as transgender or genderqueer in their gender identity compared with nondisabled…

The authors who contributed the interviews that follow did so with the understanding that their individual interviews, when considered collectively, could help readers gain a preliminary understanding of some of the fundamental values associated with indigenous leadership. Consistent with this intent, readers are urged to read all five interviews…

One month after the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, left three dead and many injured and arrested, another university faces a tough decision about whether to allow controversial alt-right leader, Richard Spencer, to speak on campus. What seems like a simple decision to allow or deny a speaking request becomes a much deeper…

This teaching case study takes place in an American middle school and tells the story of Dorah, a refugee student from the Republic of Congo who experienced severe trauma. At Lincoln Middle School, the principal and her teachers encounter difficulties serving their refugee students adequately because of their lack of cultural proficiency. This…

The transition for new head teachers (school principals) can be a difficult and unpredictable one. This article outlines a case of a deputy (assistant principal) in the United Kingdom as he takes up his first headship. We describe some of the challenges involved and prompt readers to consider strategies that could be used and support that may be…

This case positions the reader as the superintendent of Daly City Community Schools (DCCS), a mid-sized public school district located in the Midwestern United States facing a fiscal crisis. The case requires the reader to propose fiscal alternatives to a school board. For example, the case might invite the reader to consider the appointment of an…

Accountability policies have impacted school leadership practices both positively and negatively. In Texas, the adoption of a special education accountability policy led many schools and districts to delay or denial of special education to eligible students. This article includes an undisguised case describing the Texas Education Agency's district…

This case is designed to help school leaders develop skills needed to work with interdisciplinary groups while demonstrating the complex issues faced while considering the special education needs of students. The case further examines a child study team meeting from the lens of different participants, including the principal, teacher, school…

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…

A state voter proposition concerning gun regulation motivated a local far-right political group to organize a pro-gun rally on campus. Overriding the safety and security concerns of faculty and students, freedom of speech rights required that the group be allowed to assemble on campus. The case explores interactions among administration, faculty,…