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

Reading & Literacy Video How Schools Can Help Older Students Struggling With Reading
With a growing number of struggling readers in the older grades, schools need school-wide strategies and individual interventions.
3:33
A teacher leads students in a discussion about hyperbole and symbolism in a high school English class.
A teacher leads students in a discussion about hyperbole and symbolism in a high school English class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Reading & Literacy Video How to Structure Lessons to Build Reading and Writing Skills
Tips for teachers on ways to incorporate reading and writing into lessons to enhance both skills.
031225 Reading Month Thumbnail KM BS
Kate Medley for Education Week
Teaching Video Flexible Seating Without the Chaos. This Teacher Has Figured It Out
This 4th grade class utilizes 11 different types of flexible seating to keep them moving throughout the day.
1:36
Flexible Seating BS
Sam Mallon/Education Week
School & District Management Video How One School Transformed Early Release Days With Outdoor Learning
This Vermont school uses Project Wild to build school connection and social-emotional learning on early release days.
2:48
Wild Wednesday BS
Courtesy of Vergennes Union Elementary School