Current Realities for Public Schools

Administrators in today\u27s schools work in a constant state of flux; change is the norm. Congress\u27 recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act, through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides a signal example. Just as many were beginning to fully understand and adjust to the implications of the now defunct No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, there\u27s a new set of rules to play by

The Changing Landscape of Leadership

Leading a campus is not what it used to be (nor is teaching a class, being a student, or raising a child for that matter). The increasing pace of societal and technological change provides an ever-evolving backdrop against which educational leaders view and conduct their work. Overlay a culture of accountability enacted amid budget cuts, surging enrollments, and shifting demographics, and the roles of school leaders become clouded with uncertainty, imbued with responsibility, and demanding increased personal commitment and professional and technical knowledge. One principal preparation student recently commented that her teaching colleagues routinely asked her, Why in the world do you want to do that? Upon reflection, it\u27s a valid question we should all answer

Geometric Singular Perturbation Theory and Averaging: Analysing Torus Canards in Neural Models

Neuronal bursting, an oscillatory pattern of repeated spikes interspersed with periods of rest, is a pervasive phenomenon in brain function which is used to relay information in the body. Mathematical models of bursting typically consist of singularly perturbed systems of ordinary differential equations, which are well suited to analysis by geometric singular perturbation theory (GSPT). There are numerous types of bursting models, which are classified by a slow/fast decomposition and identification of fast subsystem bifurcation structures. Of interest are so-called fold/fold-cycle bursters, where burst initiation (termination) occurs at a fold of equilibria (periodic orbits), respectively. Such bursting models permit torus canards, special solutions which track a repelling fast subsystem manifold of periodic orbits. In this thesis we analyse the Wilson-Cowan-Izhikevich (WCI) and Butera models, two fold/fold-cycle bursters. Using numerical averaging and GSPT, we construct an averaged slow subsystem and identify the bifurcations corresponding to the transitions between bursting and spiking activity patterns. In both models we find that the transition involves toral folded singularities (TFS), averaged counterparts of folded singularities. In the WCI model, we show that the transition occurs at a degenerate TFS, resulting in a torus canard explosion, reminiscent of a classic canard explosion in the van der Pol oscillator. The TFS identified in the Butera model are generic, and using numerical continuation methods, we continue them and construct averaged bifurcation diagrams. We find three types of folded-saddle node (FSN) bifurcations which mediate transitions between activity patterns: FSN type I, II, and III. Type III is novel and studied here for the first time. We utilise the blow-up technique and dynamic bifurcation theory to extend current canard theory to the FSN III

Advancements for Principals

This edition has some clear presentations for the important principal role and how universities impact the new principals. Additionally, there is a paper on the assistant principals and their movement to the principal position. Our TCPEA Outstanding Graduate Research Exchange paper showcases middle school mathematics achievement for Asian students and parent involvement

Accountability and Students\u27 Needs

Our schools are working under many pressures often with increased expectations and less resources. These increased expectations hold administrators and teachers to high accountability standards while working with increased diverse populations of students

School Boards, Superintendents, and Students: Making Large Impacts

As we look to the many stakeholders in education and a variety of roles, this edition takes a look at school boards, superintendents, teachers\u27 evaluations as a major role of administrators. Additionally, one article showcases the factors that affect students\u27 decisions in an educational leadership doctoral program as they access a terminal degree in our field

Legal, Moral, and Transformational Leadership for our School Districts and Universities

This current issue of the School Leadership Review has a wide variety of topics addressing the legal, moral, and transformational leadership for our school district administrators and university personnel. The legal issues of bullying and transportation liability are important to the safety and welfare of our students and staff. As administrators develop policies and procedures, there needs to be careful consideration to legal and moral implications that will guide their district. These many legal issues would be minimal if the leaders led with honesty and integrity. Transformational leadership has this honesty and integrity woven throughout its tenets

Filling in the Blanks

Whether you are a practitioner involved in public education, a researcher in higher education, a policymaker, a proponent of privatization, a homeschool advocate, a concerned parent, or just an anxious taxpayer, the one adjective around which we could probably build consensus to fill the blank is uncertain, for uncertain is most certainly an apt descriptor of these times. Issues remain unsettled; courses of action remain undetermined; fundamental beliefs remain unresolved; and, emotions remain uneased. Some see a future fraught with rancor and divisiveness, while others simultaneously swell with optimism at the possibilities that lie ahead: polar opposite views in a polarized world

Storm Clouds

This issue of School Leadership Review comes at a time when many states and territories are dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Unprecedented rains, catastrophic winds, and historic levels of sustained flooding have devastated many communities, as well as the schools and universities within them. These awful disasters brought the loss of lives as well as total destruction of homes, businesses, and campuses. Perhaps the historic ferocity of these storms is coincidental or, more likely, they were fueled by a warmer than ever ocean, but whatever the cause, the impacts of these storms leave immense structural damage with lasting repercussions to these communities