Date of Award
Spring 8-9-2022
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Educational Policy Studies
First Advisor
Kristina Brezicha, Ph. D.
Second Advisor
Will Rumbaugh, Ed. D.
Third Advisor
James R. Kahrs, Ed. D.
Abstract
Over the last several decades, charter schools have proliferated across the United States promising to close the persistent achievement gap between White and Black students. As the number of charter schools has increased, competition between charter and traditional public schools for students has had several impacts on the educational experiences of these students (Winters, 2020). While studies have focused primarily on the impact of student outcomes when comparing charter schools and traditional public schools, there are limited studies that examine traditional public school (TPS) principals’ perspectives of charter school competitors. In this study, I focus on social justice principals’ perceptions of and responses to charter school competition. I use the term social justice principals to refer to TPS principals who: (1) understand that equity in redistribution, recognition, and representation requires the reversal of systematic/institutional injustice (Wang, 2016) and who address inequity by bringing theory to practice to achieve more equitable and just schools. I focus on social justice principals because their commitment to educational equity speaks to the social justice implications. Using a case study design, I purposefully selected seven public school principals in a district with a high concentration of charters schools. I ask the following research questions: What are the perceptions of social justice principals of TPSs about the proliferation of charter schools? How do social justice principals of TPSs respond to charter school competition? How do social justice principals’ responses to charter school competition impact their work in addressing educational inequities? Using document analysis, individual interviews, and focus group interviews, the following findings emerged from the study: 1) social justice principals of TPSs either collaborate, compete, or work to change the perceptions when faced with charter school competition, and 2) social justice principals of TPSs exhibit intentionality, provide opportunity for dialogue for stakeholders, and provide support and access to resources.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/29024803
Recommended Citation
Howard, Shevan, "A Case Study of Traditional Public-School Principals? Perceptions of and Responses to Charter School Competition Through the Lens of Social Justice Leadership." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2022.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/29024803
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