Leading “Survival Learning”: Rural Superintendent Leadership During COVID-19

The transition of school across the globe to “crisis schooling” in March 2020 raised urgent questions about how districts can initiate or continue supports for students in a context of social distancing, fiscal uncertainty, unprecedented unemployment, and an evolving understanding of the epidemiological risks associated with the virus. Superintendents and principals had to weigh the risks of providing academic and social services and make rapid, iterative decisions with imperfect information and limited resources. This chapter reports on a study that was a multi-phase examination of district leadership decisions and adaptations related to basic needs provision in two states in America. Phase 1 of the project collected and analysed district communication released to families from district websites and social media feeds. Phase 2 focused on interviewing superintendents (n = 52) across rural, suburban, and urban contexts to understand how and why practices have been adopted and iteratively refined during this time. Findings suggest rural districts faced significant challenges with regard to providing mental health supports and internet access. Crisis leadership required many of the same commitments and endurance from leaders across locales, we also find that the actions of rural leaders often had more far-reaching effects for their communities than those in other contexts.