Leading Urban Schools During COVID-19

• In Event: Leading in the Time of COVID-19: Navigating the Unknown

Abstract

Principals have a difficult job that requires them to balance many keeping demands while also dealing with complex social interactions with faculty, staff, students, and families. Yet, few empirical studies have investigated principal stress and burnout (feelings of compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization (e.g., Author, 2018; Mahfouz, 2019). Principal burnout is a critical issue because a leader’s emotions can: (a) communicate reactions to social reality; (b) affect the emotions of teachers and other individuals; (c) serve as precursors to future emotions and behaviors; and (d) indicate coping associated with global and local issues related to decentralization, privatization, and accountability policies (Berkovich & Eyal, 2014).

Authors

• Pedro Reyes, The University of Texas at Austin

• David Edward DeMatthews, The University of Texas at Austin

• Lebon Daniel James, The University of Texas at Austin

• Janet Solis Rodriguez, The University of Texas at Austin