Understanding Municipal Education Leaders in the Tension Between Politics, Professionals and Parents

This chapter explores how non-affirmative theories, such as NAT and discursive institutionalism, can complement each other when investigating educational and pedagogical leadership. Public policies, laws, and interests are transformed into pedagogical practice at the municipal level, and the educational leadership mediates between several practices. In many countries, a more liberal education policy has given rise to demands for clearer parental influence in schools. Public decision-making processes regarding educational issues change when more actors demand their voices be heard. In which educational issues is it then beneficial to initiate an extended debate and involve citizens? In the municipal context, a communicative discourse about education is to be preferred, although a coordinative discourse would be legal and correct. Everyone with an interest in the local school should have the opportunity to use their voice. We need ongoing, enlightened conversations about education, pedagogy, and Bildung at the municipal and local levels in our society.