Engaging Educational Leadership and the Coalition of Essential Schools in Appalachian Ohio

Despite its inherent transformational capacity, day-to-day educational practices have not changed since the late 19th Century, resulting in processes that do not uphold democratic values. (Sizer, 1984; Wood, 2005). This study seeks to answer the following research question: how did an educational leader use the Coalition of Essential School's (CES) model to develop institutional norms to address social inequity? The Coalition's termination in 2017 prompts concern; if a nonprofit organization committed to "student-centered, equity-driven learning" cannot persist, education and democracy are in jeopardy (What We Do, 2017). The Common Principles (2017) and the works of Sizer (1984) and Wood (2005) were used to triangulate the in-depth qualitative interview of Dr. Wood. Three themes emerged from such data: understanding the Common Principles, living the Common Principles, and equity with the Common Principles. These findings ultimately reveal a growing disparity between ideals, implementation, and outcomes. Consequently, active democratic citizen preparation rests with all of us, all facets of education and other societal institutions.