This qualitative study of school leaders in the United States was conduct through focus group.  The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between democratic educational leadership, equity and shared-decision making. The participants’ responses were transcribed verbatim, responses coded, and analyzed for emerging themes. Findings from the analysis indicated that educational leaders perceive their leadership roles as complex and challenging.  Educational leaders stressed the moral purpose of the No Child Left Behind (a federal mandate) in promoting an awareness of the social injustices and equity issues faced by marginalized populations. Participants perceived this mandate as inflexible and called for a more comprehensive analysis of student achievement through authentic assessment that highlights student strengths. Overall, the study concluded that shared-decision making, as defined by educational leaders, emphasized accountability for educational outcomes and decisions made in the best interest of children. Future recommendations for democratic shared-decision making included the importance of establishing a positive organizational school culture, mentoring future leaders in the school community, integrating diverse teams throughout the decision-making process, and providing continuous support in developing a team with the best interests of children in mind.

The purpose of this investigation was to elicit teachers’ perceptions on the practice of Co-created leadership in schools. In a co-led organization, the leaders are guided by, are responsive to, and draw their authority from those whom they lead. Twenty one teachers responded to a survey requesting their perceptions on the practice of co-created leadership dispositions in their school. Although the respondents recognized all of the dispositions of co-created leadership, they noted the sporadic use of patience, active listening and trust and trustworthiness. The absence of these had negative impacts on learning. The top three dispositions of co-created leadership that were identified as the most essential for learning were collaboration, active listening, and trust and trustworthiness. These dispositions were found to empower others so that the organization was not dependent upon one person. The challenge of co-created leadership was the practice of a genuine and seamless invitation of every member’s talents, ideas and ideals regardless of their position in the school. But doing so led to co-created efforts that are more likely to outlive the present leaders.