Why Mission Matters More for (Some) Charter Principals

• In Event: 16.062 - Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: 16.062-1 - School Leadership and Principals' Management Practices

Abstract

Different communities and individual students may have distinct needs, suggesting that schools embrace different missions to serve those needs. Clear missions may be particularly vital for charter school leadership as they are less regulated than traditional public schools, they need to attract parents to survive, and schools with clear missions are more likely to remain open and grow. We present interview data from eight charter leaders in Arizona (1), Texas (2), California (2), Arkansas (2) and Pennsylvania (1) with prior experience leading traditional public schools, giving their perspectives as to how leaders differ across the two sectors.

Authors

• Robert A. Maranto, University of Arkansas

• Leesa Foreman, University of Arkansas