Crisis leadership

Abstract

The COVID-19 global pandemic presented itself as a U.S. challenge in February 2020. By mid- March 2020, most U.S. schools shut down access to their school buildings and transitioned to remote learning. How easily and efficiently schools could adapt to emergency models of teaching and learning varied from school district to school district. Thus, the primary research question is: How did U.S. K-12 school leaders describe their sensemaking during crisis planning in response to the 2020 disruptive landscape?Eleven K-12 school leaders in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey from a diverse range of public and private school settings participated in this study. Each school leader participated in a semi-structured online interview that ranged from 42-82 minutes. This qualitative study applies narrative inquiry to describe and interpret how school leaders made sense as they engaged in crisis planning amid the 2020 disruptive landscape. Weick's sensemaking theory (1995) was used as a lens for understanding the experiences of eleven K-12 school leaders. NVivo software was used for multicycle data analysis. Findings included: 1) past experience and training did not adequately prepare school leaders to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) school leaders faced comprehensive challenges, 3) school leaders used identity as a driver for sensemaking, 4) school leaders utilized a diverse range of resources and strategies in their crisis response, and 5) school leaders depended on professional learning communities for ongoing support. Future research and implications for practice are recommended. Keywords: sensemaking, crisis management, pandemic, COVID-19, crisis leadership, educational leadership, narrative inquiry, NVivo--Author's abstract