Educational Leadership in a Vuca World: The Crisis Management Experiences of Rural School Superintendents

The job of both urban and rural superintendents is challenging, but it is the rural school superintendency that comes with unique challenges that aren’t always faced by their urban and suburban counterparts. The COVID-19 Pandemic brought about a number of crises for school superintendents such as school closures, mask mandates, and navigating positions taken by governors, teachers unions, and school boards. While concerns about school closures and mask mandates has dissipated, conflict within school districts has only seemed to grow since the pandemic.This multi-case study explored the lived experience of rural superintendents in the Midwest who have experienced a crisis within their school district. The purpose was to better understand the crises happening within rural school districts, how superintendents responded to the crises, what they wish they would have done differently, and the advice they would give to future superintendents when navigating crises. The study drew from the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) (Coombs, 2007), a framework designed to help organizations protect their reputations during crises. The SCCT defines a crisis as a sudden and unexpected event that threatens to disrupt an organization’s operations and poses both a financial and reputational threat.The multi-case study used purposive sampling to identify case study participants, with semi-structured interviews being the primary method for data collection. Within-case analysis was used to detail the specifics of each case. Once each case was analyzed individually, cross-case analysis was used to establish common themes from all cases. Three central themes emerged from the data including (a) a recent increase in crises within public schools, (b) a lack of education and training in crisis management, and (c) the importance of building and maintaining a network of other superintendents.The research highlights the need for more training, improved strategic communication, better community relations, and more support systems within rural schools. By taking the findings of this research and working with educational leadership preparation programs, professional education associations, and superintendents themselves, rural school leaders can approach future crises with greater effectiveness and strengthen the trust within their schools and communities.Advisor: Nicholas J. Pace