District Director of Arts Career Pathways: Interview Questions and Successful Candidate Responses
ABSTRACT: A mock interview addressing the underutilization of theatre and arts programs with CTE (career technical education) pathways and changes that would go into effect at an example district, Harrison School District Two, in Colorado.
God, When Will We Get It?: Addressing Access Inequities in Theatre-Based Career Pathways in Public Education
ABSTRACT: When people think about theatre and entertainment, the conversation usually defaults to Broadway or film—fields associated with inconsistent income and an oversaturated pool of performers. That narrative is not wrong; it is incomplete. It overlooks the technical and managerial side of the industry: lighting designers and technicians; sound engineers and board operators; costumers and wigmakers; stage managers and production managers; fly system operators, and more. Each of these roles offers structured, trackable career pathways, yet schools rarely frame them for students that way.
Because of that gap in framing, a disconnect forms between what theatre education offers and how school systems understand it. Educators may recognize the value, but without alignment at the leadership level, programs remain siloed. In turn, students—particularly those in Title I schools—experience limited access to industry-aligned learning opportunities, modern technical tools, and inclusive performance spaces.
Standards and Tool Utilization: Performing Arts Overhaul for Harrison High School
ABSTRACT: A decision must be made whether to redesign the existing Stagecraft course and the rest of the theatre program at Harrison High School into a multi-year Stage Technology and Theatre Production pathway. Integration of these changes would include expanding the curriculum, integrating industry-standard technology, repurposing underutilized auditorium spaces, implementing backstage communication systems, adding instructional and technical facilities (classrooms, booths, dressing rooms), and potential future facility upgrades, while balancing financial, staffing, spatial, and ethical considerations.
Toward a Consent-Based, Embodied Model of Educational Leadership
ABSTRACT: Contemporary leadership frameworks often fail to account for systemic replication. While transactional leadership emphasizes efficiency and structure, and servant leadership emphasizes care and service, both models operate within systems that can unintentionally undermine autonomy. In contrast, transformational leadership offers a pathway toward intrinsic motivation and identity development (Stein, 2025). However, even transformational leadership must be reframed through a consent-based, embodied lens to address the complexities of educational environments fully. This paper argues that a consent-based, embodied approach to transformational leadership provides a more sustainable and ethical framework for addressing burnout, disengagement, and systemic power imbalances in education.