Superintendents’ Work (Intensification) in a Shifting Policy Climate: Enacting a Student Discipline Strategy

Abstract

In this case study, senior superintendents reckon with the challenges of implementing a revised strategic policy for student discipline in an intensified work environment. Challenges include: (a) providing professional learning to familiarize leaders and educators with regulatory requirements; (b) a problematic trend of school and district leaders avoiding long-term suspensions; (c) the disproportionate number of minoritized students who are suspended/expelled; and (d) securing the resources needed to realize the punitive and preventative elements of the strategy. The case description is followed by three exercises—case framing, reflective practice, and action plan—that instructors can use in graduate level courses and professional development workshops.