The Paradox of Superintendent Leadership in School Restructuring

The thrust of recent school improvement efforts across a number of industrialized countries has been to decentralize decision-making and broaden access to the decision-making process for teachers and parents. Such efforts are predicated on the belief that this type of empowerment results in increased commitment and better decisions. This article examines the role that superintendents might play in initiating the restructuring of a school district. Is it possible for the hierarchical leader of the organization to lead a process of bottom-up improvement? We explore this question in the context of a case study of one superintendent in a moderately-sized American school district.