Navigating Co-Location Policy as a School Leader

• In Event: Reform – by Any Means Necessary: The Diverse Phases of Change

Abstract

School co-location--two or more schools operating on one campus--has resulted in tension among various stakeholders in Denver Public Schools. Drawing on a framework that centers distrust, we use ethnographic interviews and document analysis to explore how school leaders understand and navigate this reform. While co-location policy is meant to create opportunities for school leaders to collaborate and share resources, our findings suggest that more often school leaders find their work constrained by logistical, relational, and strategic barriers that work against their desire to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for students--both within and beyond their own schools. We argue that school leaders’ perspectives provide necessary insights for school districts to consider when implementing school co-location and other educational policies.

Authors

• Elizabeth Tetu Bohl, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Katherine Schultz, University of Colorado Boulder

• Wagma S. Mommandi, University of Colorado - Boulder