ABSTRACT
It has been argued that “education is one of the most thoroughly political enterprises in American life” (Bailey, 1962; pp. viii). Nonetheless, extant literature does little to provide insights into the nature of relations between political and administrative roles and its relation to conflict in local education governance. Consequently, this study identifies where political and professional leadership and control is connected and where it is separated in the processes of urban and rural education governance. Conclusions are then drawn concerning the nature of and extent to which superintendent–board relations are conflicted and are cooperative.
