A School Administrator’s Journey through an EdD program in the Midst of a Global Pandemic

Authors

  • Courtney F. Browning Radford University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2021.155

Keywords:

place-based education, COVID-19, school closure, problem of practice, racial disparity

Abstract

This braided essay weaves together the reflective journey of a school administrator traversing through a doctoral program during the initial stages of the COVID 19 pandemic while considering her Problem of Practice in the current context of her school, local community, and global society. The ongoing challenges of a rural 3rd-5th consolidated school struggling through school improvement to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students are examined, while analyzing the place-based education model as it pertains to the current global pandemic and present state of education. While examining the issue of racial discipline disproportionality in the local context, this essay also addresses the potential implications upon both the local school and overall state of education by fostering a strong sense of place within and through the implementation of place-based educational practices.

Author Biography

Courtney F. Browning, Radford University

I am an Assistant Principal at Buckingham County Elementary School serving 3rd-5th grade students.  Previous to moving into administration I served for nine years as a reading coach/specialists developing instructional programing tailored to school and student needs, providing targeted literacy intervention to students, and supporting teachers through coaching.  I am currently pursuing my EdD through Radford University in Educational Leadership.  I have my administration and reading specialist endorsements through Longwood Univserity as well as my masters in Elementary Education.  I hold a Bachelor of Arts with a Philosophy concentration and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from James Madison University.

References

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Frost, R. (1916). The road not taken. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken

Gruenewald, D. A., & Smith, G. A. (2010). Place-based education in the global age: local diversity. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Jayanandhan, S. R. (2009). John Dewey and a pedagogy of place. Philosophical Studies in Education, 40, 104–112.

Misiaszek, G. W. (2016). Ecopedagogy as an element of citizenship education: The dialectic of global/local spheres of citizenship and critical environmental pedagogies. International Review of Education, 62(5), 587–607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9587-0

[Reporter for Major Newspaper] (2013, August 20). [State] Reading Score drop on more difficult test. [Major Newspaper].

[School Division] Trend Data. (2020). [School Division].

Smith, G. A., & Sobel, D. (2010). Place- and community-based education in schools. Routledge.

[State Department of Education]. (2020). [State] department of education school quality profile: [Slateville] county elementary school.

Downloads

Published

2021-04-30

How to Cite

Browning, C. F. (2021). A School Administrator’s Journey through an EdD program in the Midst of a Global Pandemic. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 6(2), 48–53. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2021.155

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2021): COVID-19 IN THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT

Section

THEMED - COVID-19

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