ABSTRACT
Superintendents, as the day-to-day leaders of a school district, oversee budgetary and other district operations, help give practical meaning to federal and state policy, and set local district policy. In this context, a superintendent seems to be in a strong position to craft district policies that might better serve groups of historically marginalized students and interrupt the status quo. However, education policy decisions in the U.S. – even those on the local level – occur in a highly-politicized context, with the superintendent accountable to a democratically elected school board and influential stakeholder groups holding sway in a district. In order to gain long-term “buy-in” and legitimacy for equity-based policies, a superintendent might attempt to effectively “frame” a problem and a proposed solution with a message that draws on the ideas and language that already exist in the broader community. This model of “holistic engagement” focuses on building broad coalitions and influencing various stakeholders, both internal (like principals and teachers) and external (like the elected school board and other community leaders). This chapter establishes a framework for examining the actions of superintendents that utilize framing and strive towards equity-oriented leadership and a holistic view of stakeholder engagement.
