Special Report
School & District Management Explainer

VUCA: What It Is and Why It Matters to Schools

By Kevin Bushweller & Emma Patti Harris — April 27, 2021 7:00
VUCA: What It Is and Why It Matters to Schools

You may not know what VUCA is, but you are living it, probably more than ever before. It is a way to describe and understand the increasingly complex environment that businesses, governments, and schools are operating in.
V is for Volatile.
U is for Uncertainty.
C is for Complexity.
A is for Ambiguity.
That’s VUCA and let’s take a look at why it matters, especially for school and district leaders.

Kevin Bushweller oversees coverage of educational technology and learning environments for Education Week.
Emma Patti Harris is a deputy managing editor for Education Week who oversees visuals and immersive experiences.

Coverage of leadership, summer learning, social and emotional learning, arts learning, and afterschool is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at www.wallacefoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Video

Special Education Video Inside a Summer School Program for Special Education Students
Academic support offered between school years is especially important for students with learning differences.
1 min read
dipalermo esy illinois 12
Dominic Di Palermo for Education Week
School & District Management Video Two Principals, One Agenda: Keep Kids Safe From Immigration Action
Two principals talk to Education Week about how to work through the fear and chaos of ICE action.
1 min read
Early Childhood Video How Play Carts Can Transform Early Education
Play carts make it easy to follow Connecticut’s play-based learning mandate.
1 min read
Connecticut passed legislation requiring public preschools and kindergartens to provide play-based learning during the school day.
Connecticut passed legislation requiring public preschools and kindergartens to provide play-based learning during the school day.
Victor J. Blue for Education Week
Early Childhood Video A Charter School Finds 'Looping' Strategy Benefits Youngest Students
Capital City Public Charter School, the first parent-founded charter school in the nation’s capital, takes a unique approach to early learning.
1 min read