On the Merge-Pathway
On the Merge
Case Overview
In a rural district facing a severe budget shortfall caused by shrinking industry and declining enrollment, school board member Laura Washington must decide whether to vote to merge the town’s two high schools. Such a merge would mean closing Laura’s alma mater, a beloved but under-enrolled school that many see as a fixture in the community.
What will best serve the students in town—keeping both schools open with deep cuts or merging them into one school?
You can find and download the full case study below.
Key Questions You Will Explore
- How can educational leaders balance their many responsibilities to different stakeholders, including students, educators, parents, school board members, and the broader community?
- How can educational leaders identify the values that are important to them, their stakeholders, and their institutions?
Hear from the Experts
Why is this issue a real dilemma? Watch short video commentaries to explore the complexities, challenges, and values at stake in this case.
As you watch each video, consider the following questions:
- What resonates with you in this video?
- What questions does this video raise for you?
- How does this video impact your understanding of the dilemmas in the case?
On Identifying Values
Rydell Harrison, Program Coordinator at Partners for Educational Leadership, answers the question: How can educational leaders think about the ways that identity shapes their values?
On Centering Multiple Values
Jennifer Cheatham, Senior Lecturer on Education and Faculty Chair at Harvard Graduate School of Education, answers the question: How can leaders effectively use listening sessions to create change in their community?
Additional Resources
- "The Real Cost of Closing Rural Schools” (redirect) explores the political, economic, and social costs of closing rural schools.
- Learn how residents of Macon, Georgia, US, are fighting to preserve a historic school (redirect) to maintain a town’s historic value.
- In Harrison County, West Virginia, parents and school staff expressed concerns about the closure of their small elementary school (redirect), citing the need and benefits of a small school environment.
- Learn how a school district in Oakland, California, is facing concerns around integrating schools across racial and socioeconomic divides (redirect). This article explores the question: How can the district create equitable schools in districts shaped by a history of redlining and racially segregated housing?
- Unpack a few key factors districts need to consider as they analyze the costs and benefits of closing one or multiple schools (PDF).
- Other than enrollment, leaders take into account other factors in school closures (PDF): academic performance, broader community needs, and realistic financial benefits.
Case Reflection Questions
- What was most surprising, intriguing, or challenging about this case?
- What do you believe a school provides for a town or community? Does that change depending on the location?
- Do you have any experience with school closure (as a student, parent, teacher, leader, community member, etc.)?
Are You Hoping to Lead People Through This Learning Pathway?
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- guidance on customizing your pathway
- best practices for normative case discussions
- detailed protocols for each case
- discussion questions for different audiences
- extension activities for personalized learning
Want facilitation materials and guidance just for this one case? Download the Case Facilitation Guide!
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What's Next? Exploring the Other Cases in this Pathway
This pathway contains five cases and supporting materials that explore dilemmas related to educational leadership in K-12 settings. Click on each case below to learn more and to access the resources.
An instructional coach in a charter network with five schools faces challenges as she attempts to roll out a new culturally-responsive curriculum. While the curriculum was developed and implemented successfully at the network's Downtown campus, it has drawn concerns from both parents and teachers at the Coastal location. Should the instructional coach heed these concerns and modify or delay the rollout of a curriculum she deeply believes in?
How can instructional leaders balance their own values with the values and concerns of the communities they serve?
A pair of seventh graders in Madrid take a topless photo of a female classmate using WhatsApp and forward it to the rest of the class. While the girl in the photo hopes never to hear about the situation again, members of the teaching and administrative staff wonder whether the incident should serve as a learning opportunity for the whole student body.
When the entire school community is affected by behavior that happens at home, how should teachers and school leaders respond? What responsibilities and limits does the school have to discipline students for out-of-school behavior?
In 2021-2022, Arlington, VA, faced criticism from teachers and parents when the district announced a plan to make homework more equitable by eliminating deadlines and other requirements.
How can schools address inequalities in the resources available to students when it comes to homework completion? What can schools do to level the playing field between students who have ample family, social, and financial resources to support their educational success and students who have access to fewer such resources?
Want to Learn More?
Full Normative Case Study Library
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Ethical Leadership in Polarized Times: The Brief-Cases Suite
Explore this collection of normative “brief-cases.” Each one-page case is designed to help educational leaders discuss ethical challenges wrought by social and political polarization.
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EdEthics | Values-Driven Leadership Video Playlist
Watch all the videos in our series of expert commentaries on values-driven leadership from school and district leaders, researchers, and leadership coaches.
