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

Professional Development Video How One District Is Getting Secondary Teachers Up to Speed on Reading Support
A district invests in improving secondary teachers' knowledge to help students needing reading support.
1 min read
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
Jason Drakeford for Education Week
Federal Video Here’s What the Ed. Dept. Upheaval Will Mean for Schools
The Trump administration took significant steps this week toward eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.
1 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured in a double exposure on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured in a double exposure on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Video These Students Are Using AI to Visualize Their Reading Comprehension
Students learn how to write AI prompts while demonstrating reading comprehension in this middle school classroom.
AI Reading BS
Ashley Gutierrez for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Video How One District Made Pickleball an Inclusive Varsity Sport
Kids with IEP and 504 plans play alongside their peers on one district's varsity pickleball team.
Students on Northwood High School’s pickleball team warm up ahead of a match against Wheaton High School in Wheaton, Md., on Oct. 1, 2025.
Students on Northwood High School’s pickleball team warm up ahead of a match against Wheaton High School in Wheaton, Md., on Oct. 1, 2025.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week