A Constellation of Care: How District Leaders Use Partnerships to Support Caring in Schools

• In Event: Organizational Theory: Promise, Practice, and Policy

Abstract

As policy changes have broadened the range of factors considered in school quality, schools and districts have been more attentive to the social support aspect of schooling. The present study examines the ways that district central office leaders seek partners to augment their efforts to support caring in schools. Drawing on a qualitative national study of district leaders conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, we find that the partnerships sought by district leaders served three important functions: bridging, buffering, and bricolage. These strategic partnerships allowed for the heightened care needs of students and district employees to be met in creative, innovative ways, creating a constellation of care.

Authors

• Jeff Walls, Washington State University

• Kate Kennedy, RAND Corporation