Managing in a Storm of Chaos: The Ecology of School Principals’ Crisis Management

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This study provides key empirical evidence of how school principals manage crises, an important but understudied component of their role. Specifically, this paper explores the perspectives of school principals who served as hurricane emergency evacuation shelter managers to understand how they managed the crises that arose during shelter operations and the contextual factors, such as the lack of policies governing shelter management, that facilitated or impeded their ability to succeed in doing so. Our analyses established an ecological framework that blends principals’ managerial knowledge, skills, and training with the larger organizational systems in which crises occurred. Our findings demonstrate the need for improved alignment between the organizations principals serve and what is asked of them as civic leaders during crises.