"Hard Work, Patience, and a Lot of Grace": Lessons Learned from Charter School Leaders During the COVID-19

Ample research has described the impact of the pandemic on teachers and students alike. However, less research focuses on the experiences of school leaders in charter schools. This study explores the experiences of charter school leaders using a longitudinal case study design from the summer of 2020 through the summer of 2022. We were particularly interested in how these experiences changed throughout the pandemic and what lessons charter school leaders learned during this time. We conducted interviews with 33 charter school leaders across the United States. We subsequently conducted three follow-up surveys with the same individuals. School leaders suggested that among the most important lessons learned throughout the crisis were prioritizing flexibility, engaging in open communication with stakeholders, and teacher and student well-being.