Lessons Learned From Virtual Teaching and Learning in Elementary Education During C19 Disruption

This chapter sets out to present and reflect on the creative approaches implemented in teaching and learning during disruption, specifically in grades JK-5 that quickly became a reality at the American Community Schools (ACS) of Athens because of the C19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. During that time ACS Athens administration, including the schools' President, the Director of e-Learning, Dean of Academics, and the Elementary Principal (author) designed a “5-Phase Process as a disruptive intervention to transition from a traditional four-walled classroom into a virtual classroom, thus transforming learning experiences, routines, and perspectives.” This chapter will provide a framework for the details of each phase while sharing the immediate responses to virtual learning which were based on best practices and technological pedagogical framework.

The Pushed-Out Principal

Kathleen Pitts was hired as an elementary principal with the intent of diversifying the educator ranks in a town with growing racial, economic, and cultural diversity. Upon starting her new position, Kathleen faced resistance from the staff and community. In addition, she received little support from her administrator colleagues as she forged ahead with implementing new curriculum. This case explores the critical intersection between building capacity for entering a school community, supporting new administrators, and fostering responsive and inclusive environments for staff and students. Discussion questions and activities provide a platform for exploring the complex nature of both school and district leadership, especially in contexts experiencing change.

Decomposition of Practice as an Activity for Research-Practice Partnerships

This analysis examines the process of one research-practice partnership (RPP) engaged in the activity of decomposing elementary principal practice in the context of an instructional improvement initiative in mathematics. Decomposing, or breaking apart, complex practice has been used primarily by researchers to inform the design of pre-service teacher education. We argue that decomposition is a rich activity for researchers and practitioners to collaboratively engage in to support improvement efforts where practitioners are expected to transform their day-to-day practice. We examine what can be learned from the process by which one RPP engaged in decomposing practice that might be useful for other RPPs. Our retrospective, qualitative analysis supports understanding of how RPPs might engage in decomposition and the role decomposition might play in supporting RPPs to foster educational transformation in local contexts.

Perspectives on inclusion in the general education classroom

The focus of this case study involves inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. The emphasis is on 7th-12th grade general education teachers and administrators' perspectives regarding inclusion. Laws, such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Every Student Succeeds Act, ensure all students receive an appropriate education. Inclusion would provide instruction for students with disabilities in the general education environment to the maximum extent possible. This appropriate education must be received in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities should receive appropriate accommodations and modifications in the general education classroom in order to be successful. The IEP team, which consists of general education teachers, special education teachers, administrators and parents, determine the appropriate placement for individual students.This case study is centered around Social Justice Theory. Under Social Justice Theory all students have equal access to instruction and resources in the learning environment. Students are supported and held to high expectations. Leaders should create a learning environment in which all students can be successful.This case study focuses on teachers and administrators of grades 7th to 12th. The researcher chose these grade levels because there seems to be difficulty implementing accommodations and modifications for students with disabilities in these grades in the school district under study. This difficulty could be due to the short amount of time teachers have students. Each class period is 50 minutes long. Students begin receiving credits for graduation in the 9th grade. How assignments are modified may affect the content learn by students. The amount of time students with disabilities take to learn content and the actual content they are learning may be why general education teachers struggle with inclusion of students with disabilities in the classroom.The elementary principal was included in this case study because this position is part of the district administration team. The district administration team is the decision-making body for the school district. The researcher included the elementary principal for this reason.

The Right of the Individual vs those of the School Community - A Case Study: An Elementary School Principal’s Dilemma

Al Lewis was the newly appointed principal of a kindergarten to grade five elementary school. The school was located in an urban city. It was in a middle class neighbourhood with a mix of newer and older homes. Parents were involved in their children’s education. Teaching and support staff ages ranged from late twenties to late fifties. Teaching experience ranged from relatively new to the profession to a few years until retirement. Other than the few new teachers who were on temporary assignments, the majority had taught at the school for five or more years. Several teachers had been there for 10 or more years. Al was excited and nervous as he embarked upon this latest leadership journey. His previous administrative experience consisted of six years as an elementary vice-principal and two years as an elementary principal in two different school districts. Al knew that coming to new a school community would involve a lot of listening and observing. More importantly, it was a time to get a sense for the school’s “culture”, build trust and nurture relationships. (Note to reader: This case is based on an actual dilemma. Names have been changed to protect confidentiality and identities of those involved. In addition, some of the details have been changed.)

Elementary Principal/Superintendent Relationship as Perceived by Teachers

Despite more than a decade of research on bottom-up school change, the principal/ superintendent relationship continues to be studied primarily as a traditional flow of power from the top down. There is little research that considers the proposition that power vested in principals can be exercised upwardly within the school district hierarchy in the form of independence from and influence on the superintendent. Given the lack of research on these phenomena, it is not surprising that we could find no studies that explore the effects of hierarchical independence and influence on school climate. The present study investigates both. Two schools form the basis of this comparative case study. The schools were chosen based on scores obtained through the OCDQ and TAI instruments. The first school is selected for its high scores on both instruments and the second school is selected based on average scores on the OCDQ and the TAI. Both schools are in the same school district and a brief description of that district begins the discussion. Individual case study findings as well as a comparison of the two case studies follow.