Leadership in Evolving Democratic School Communities

Abstract

Theorists have suggested that the practice of democracy is very hard work and current research on schools attempting more democratic practices such as site-based governance verify the complexity of the task. This article describes the values and associated behaviors of seven school administrators who foster and sustain democratic practices in schools engaged in restructuring. These school administrators reject the centrality of the principal's role and prominently display values that support equity, inclusion, mutual influence, and candor. Their values and associated behaviors lead to some provocative questions for professors of educational administration.