One Crisis After Another: Leading Through Natural Disasters and Health Pandemics

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership Strategies During Crisis and Emergency Situations

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how district- and school-level leaders of color in Houston Independent School District (HISD) supported students and families experiencing homelessness through both Hurricane Harvey (2017) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Grounded in distributed leadership theory (Spillane et al., 2004) and Pepper et al.’s (2010) crisis leadership model, we explore how these leaders respond to natural disasters and health pandemics. Drawing on interviews from school and district personnel, parents experiencing homelessness, and community service providers (n = 56), findings indicate that during crises, leaders of color in under-resourced schools faced challenges compounded by racial and economic inequities. They used distributed leadership practices to build trust with families and foster collaboration among stakeholders, while acknowledging challenges with these practices.

Authors

• Kessa Roberts, Clemson University

• Cheyenne Phillips, Southern Methodist University

• Shanea Neal, Southern Methodist University

• Shanae Neal, Southern Methodist University

• Alexandra E. Pavlakis, Southern Methodist University

• Meredith Paige Richards, Southern Methodist University