View in EDS

Outsourcing Care: The Ethical Implications of Partnerships In School Districts

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Outsourcing Care: The Ethical Implications of Partnerships In School Districts
Language: English
Authors: Jeff Walls (ORCID 0000-0002-0419-6210), Kate Kennedy (ORCID 0000-0003-0245-3719)
Source: Journal of Educational Administration. 2026 64(1):47-60.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: School Districts, Superintendents, COVID-19, Pandemics, Partnerships in Education, School Support, Teacher Welfare, Student Welfare, Mental Health, Caring, Ethics, Nonprofit Organizations, Community Organizations, Health Services
DOI: 10.1108/JEA-06-2025-0223
ISSN: 0957-8234
1758-7395
Abstract: Purpose: This study examines district leaders' actions and beliefs in partnering with external organizations to support students and staff in their schools in the context of COVID-19. The descriptive component of the study details the sorts of organizations that district leaders partner with and the purposes of those partnerships. The analytic component of the study explores the potential and realized ethical tensions produced via external partnerships for care. Design/methodology/approach: This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative data derived from a national study of caring district leadership. One emergent theme from the original dataset focused on partnerships with external and intermediary organizations. The data was re-analyzed using pattern coding. Findings: District leaders most often partnered with mental or behavioral health providers, universities and local non-profits. The primary purposes of these partnerships were to provide mental and behavioral health services for students and/or staff, support for social and emotional learning programming and medical/dental services. The level of environmental turbulence, goal congruency and opportunism presented potential ethical tensions for district leaders. Originality/value: This is the first study to formally explore how district leaders leverage external partners in their efforts to care for and support students and staff. Understanding both the type and extent of these partnerships and the tradeoffs inherent within them offers insight into how external organizations shape human relationships in schools.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505837
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1505837
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Outsourcing Care: The Ethical Implications of Partnerships In School Districts
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jeff+Walls%22">Jeff Walls</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0419-6210">0000-0002-0419-6210</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kate+Kennedy%22">Kate Kennedy</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0245-3719">0000-0003-0245-3719</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Educational+Administration%22"><i>Journal of Educational Administration</i></searchLink>. 2026 64(1):47-60.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 14
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Superintendents%22">Superintendents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Partnerships+in+Education%22">Partnerships in Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Support%22">School Support</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Welfare%22">Teacher Welfare</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Welfare%22">Student Welfare</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Caring%22">Caring</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethics%22">Ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nonprofit+Organizations%22">Nonprofit Organizations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Organizations%22">Community Organizations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+Services%22">Health Services</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/JEA-06-2025-0223
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0957-8234<br />1758-7395
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study examines district leaders' actions and beliefs in partnering with external organizations to support students and staff in their schools in the context of COVID-19. The descriptive component of the study details the sorts of organizations that district leaders partner with and the purposes of those partnerships. The analytic component of the study explores the potential and realized ethical tensions produced via external partnerships for care. Design/methodology/approach: This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative data derived from a national study of caring district leadership. One emergent theme from the original dataset focused on partnerships with external and intermediary organizations. The data was re-analyzed using pattern coding. Findings: District leaders most often partnered with mental or behavioral health providers, universities and local non-profits. The primary purposes of these partnerships were to provide mental and behavioral health services for students and/or staff, support for social and emotional learning programming and medical/dental services. The level of environmental turbulence, goal congruency and opportunism presented potential ethical tensions for district leaders. Originality/value: This is the first study to formally explore how district leaders leverage external partners in their efforts to care for and support students and staff. Understanding both the type and extent of these partnerships and the tradeoffs inherent within them offers insight into how external organizations shape human relationships in schools.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1505837
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1505837
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/JEA-06-2025-0223
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 47
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Superintendents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Partnerships in Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Support
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Welfare
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Welfare
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Caring
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nonprofit Organizations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community Organizations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health Services
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Outsourcing Care: The Ethical Implications of Partnerships In School Districts
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jeff Walls
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kate Kennedy
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 02
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0957-8234
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1758-7395
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 64
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Educational Administration
              Type: main
ResultId 1