Computer-based multimedia technologies have great potential for providing rich learning opportunities for school leaders in the context of their work. One promising avenue is the development of hypertext narratives of practice that can capture and communicate the complexities of exemplary leadership practice. This paper discusses the construction…

This case was developed for use in principalship preparation courses. It focuses on the ethical and procedural dilemmas inherent in trying to support a teacher who might be wrong in a conflict situation with a student and parents. Background is provided and the situation developed to the point where the principal sees the need to take action. At…

Currently in her third year as principal of the Leighton Elementary School, Georgia Henson faces conflicting pressures in a district where the priorities of Anglo and Hispanic communities may diverge. This case raises questions regarding administration and supervision of schools in multicultural contexts where political tensions are rising. In…

School principals are often faced with difficult decisions that challenge both their moral beliefs and ethical behaviors. Personal relationships and political associations can create an even greater challenge and level of frustration for building level administrators when attempting to carry out duties as moral agents and acting in "loco…

School administrators are not always as familiar as they might be with the education and training of school counselors. As a result, school counselors may be assigned non-counseling activities such as supervision or paperwork tasks that would be more closely suited to the duties of an assistant principal or member of the clerical staff. These…

This case is based in a small Midwestern school district. It was developed for use in a doctoral level course in Public Engagement and has been revised as a result of student feedback. As developed for this course, the concept of public engagement is not about convincing the public to do what the experts believe should be done. A desired…

In 1995, New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills and the Board of Regents changed the state's testing policy in favor of a challenging, high-stakes testing accountability system. The case describes Mill's leadership over the next six years in the face of significant opposition from parents, alternative schools, vocational educators,…

This case is designed for use in courses that explore ethics or issues related to the change process. The superintendent in this case is faced with a decision that could facilitate the adoption of much needed reform in the district. This decision would not only assure better learning and brighter futures for thousands of students but avert his own…

This case is about the clash between traditional community values and multicultural values in the context of same-sex couples at a high school prom. Within this context, a new principal must deal with competing personal and professional values, as well as the competing divergent views of district level administrators, school board members,…

This case addresses the events that unfolded after a high school teacher displayed a Confederate flag in the classroom as a visual aid to instruction on the causes and effects of the Civil War. Although the curriculum specifically required students to learn the meaning and use of symbols and provided for the use of the flag, and the principals…

This case involves overturning a 35-year-old program of weighted grading that defined a school's identity. Examination of the practice revealed a curriculum that was discriminatory toward students and teachers with deep-seated values and beliefs among an elite group of core teachers perpetuating that discrimination. Further examination revealed…

"Instructional Or Managerial Leadership: The Principal Role" is a case study written to challenge the beliefs of graduate students preparing for educational leadership roles and educational leaders already in these positions as to the importance of the principal as an instructional leader. This case explores communication between superintendents…

The case is intended for use as a culminating experience in courses, seminars or workshops that deal with organizational behaviour and the change process. It expounds on the key steps in any systemic change process involving one school's journey with change as it sets priorities and strategies, the problems encountered, where the support and…

Writing that makes one think, writing that enriches one's understanding of the past and present, that's what Cokie Roberts' book, "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters" provides, and that, too, is what the authors of this issue of the "Journal of Women in Educational Leadership" provide. Roberts' background as a news analyst covering politics, Congress…

This article addresses the Supreme Court's 2003 decision in "Lawrence v. Texas" and its implications for the rights of gay and lesbian public school teachers. The authors provide a context by reviewing the teacher role-model theory, traditional standards used in dismissals for immoral conduct, and pre-"Lawrence" cases regarding public employees'…