School Principals, Transitions, and Crises: The Need for Adaptive Leadership Behavior

• In Event: Decision Making and Leadership

Abstract

The transition of principals at a school is a critical event in the operations for that specific school. A principal’s response to crisis is imperative for the operations of a school. What happens when a principal transition is occurring during a moment of crisis? During the 2019 – 2020 and 2020 – 2021 academic year, Warrior High School dealt with this exact scenario. As their founding principal was retiring, Covid-19 was beginning to impact education in the United States and throughout the year of pandemic with education, the new principal led. Through interviews with the principals and some teachers, this research aims to examine how having an adaptive leadership lens may better equip principals to navigate principal succession and crisis situations.

Authors

• Blake Willoughby, University of Missouri

• M. Theresa Solis Metz, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Scott Hovey, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Madeline Good, University of Missouri - Columbia