School superintendents face numerous challenges, high demands, and pressures from the community, school board, and stakeholders. State and federal accountability policies and mandates contribute to rising levels of stress for superintendents, which negatively affects their health and well-being. As a result, superintendents are leaving their…

The purpose of this quantitative action research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an organization-wide book study in the K-12 environment. A growing charter school network was working towards an improved organizational culture to meet its mission. This study examined whether an organization-wide book study can make a difference in…

Urban charter schools serving economically disadvantaged minority communities experience high teacher attrition. This study examined the association between high-demand teachers, school working conditions, and turnover, both voluntary departures and involuntary terminations in an urban, charter school district. I found that improved working…

Given the concerning lack of teachers of color in Minnesota, the positive outcomes of having a diverse educator workforce, and growing legislative action in this area with the Increase Teachers of Color Act, the Minnesota Department of Education with the assistance of the Wisconsin-Minnesota Comprehensive Center Region 10 (R10CC) sought to better…

Over 2,400 school leaders in Minnesota were invited to take the second biennial Minnesota Principals Survey (MnPS) in November 2023. The MnPS seeks to elevate the voices of principals, assistant principals, and charter school leaders across the state. The survey was originally developed in 2021 by researchers at the Center for Applied Research and…

This descriptive survey study aimed to investigate the professional experiences of music educators teaching at charter schools in the United States. In the spring of 2020, a total of 113 charter school music teachers across six states responded to an online questionnaire soliciting information regarding their licensure status, background and…

Most research focuses on principal mobility generally, but little assesses charter leadership specifically. This exploratory study examines how leaders in stand-alone and charter management affiliated schools in New York and New Jersey made their decisions to lead, stay, and transition to different roles. Leaders cited excitement about autonomy…

Purpose: Studies demonstrate the central role of principals in developing and sustaining teacher commitment to their school. Teachers' commitment to their school impacts teaching, learning, innovation and school climate and manifests job satisfaction. Commitment strongly relates to teacher attrition. Attrition is important in the study of school…

Because charter school principals are granted more autonomy and discretion than principals of traditional public schools, it is imperative to search for the attributes of principals that may improve charter school performance. This study examines the relationship between principals' collective bargaining and charter school effectiveness. Using…

Talented leaders are essential to building and sustaining successful organizations. This is especially true for schools, where principal leadership plays a major role in fostering student success. Research shows that principals are a significant school-level factor affecting student achievement, second only to classroom teachers. Like other types…

Purpose: As educators across the globe are tasked with taking teaching online, this paper shares a culture-centered approach to transitioning to education at a distance. Specifically, in this essay, a focus is placed on how one school preserved their collaborative culture among administrators, teachers and staff. The purpose of this paper is to…

Research indicates that principal turnover is increasing and urban districts are struggling to retain their principals. This study used multiple regression analysis to examine seven independent variables and their relationship to principal turnover in Colorado urban schools. This study used longitudinal data from the Colorado Department of…

City Preparatory Academy (CPA) is a charter school in a midwestern city that intentionally serves a racially and socioeconomically diverse student population. This exploratory research began as an attempt to document growing concerns and disaffection shared by four staff members at CPA. These four women increasingly convened to discuss workplace…

Using data on charter and public school districts in Texas, we test the hypothesis that the labor practices in charter schools, in particular their ability to easily dismiss poorly performing teachers, diminishes the negative effect of teacher turnover on student achievement and graduation rates in comparison to public schools. We find some…

For nearly two decades teachers unions and charter schools have defined the major points of conflict over school reform, forming an "us vs. them" narrative that pits one against the other. By design, charter schools are free from many state and district regulations--including collective bargaining agreements. And when students enroll in…