Charles L. Lowery is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Virginia Tech, USA.Chetanath Gautam is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Delaware State University, USA.Patrick M. Jenlink is Regents Professor Emerita at Stephen F. Austin State University.

• Series Editors’ Foreword List of Contributors Understanding the Intersection of Educational Leadership and Political Literacy: An Introduction – Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam, & Patrick M. Jenlink Section I - Foundations of Political Literacy in Educational Leadership: Equipping Leaders for a Politically Complex Landscape 1 Cultivating Political Literacy in Educational Leadership: Informed Civic Capacity in Schools for Complex Democratic Contexts – Charles L. Lowery2 Preparing Politically Literate Leaders: Reimagining M.Ed., Ed.D., and Ph.D. Pathways for Civic Leadership in K–12 Education - Chetanath Gautam3 The Use of Leadership Studies in the Development of Educational Leaders to Help Address the Rise of Nationalism and Politicization in K-12 Schools – Thomas J. Shields & Pierre Tulowitzki4 Creative Maladjustment: Navigating Regressive Times through Political Literacy in Educational Leadership – Tina Mitchell, Chetanath Gautam, & Charles L. Lowery5 Unmasking Power Dynamics: A Critical Examination of Political Influences on Educational Equity – Robert White6 Building Democratic Capacity: How Organizations and Networks Foster Political Engagement – Alon P. Kraitzman & Dolores Albarracín Section II - Political Literacy in Practice, Case Studies, and Applications: Real-World Leadership in Contentious Political Contexts7 Political Conflict Resolution Between Russian and Ukrainian Students in Israeli Youth Villages – Mary Gutman8 A Case for Political Literacy: Strategic Navigation of Political Landscapes in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Schools – Michael Eicher9 A Meta-Synthesis of Two Decades of International Case Studies: The Interplay Between Successful Principals’ Practices and Their Political Contexts – Junqi Lin, Jingping Sun, Bob L. Johnson, Jr., & Huaiyue Zhang10 Exploring Current Perceptions of Political Literacy in the Educational Leadership Landscape of Select K12 School Districts in the US Northeast – Reshid X. Walker & Brenda Wynder11 Making Sense of the Political Competence of Public School Superintendents: Bridging the Gap Between Educational Altruism and Local Governance "Buy-In" – Robert TremblaySection III - Tools for Political Advocacy and Equity: Strategies for Building Politically Literate School Communities12 Leadership Strategies and Protocols to Develop Stakeholder Political Literacy – Dana Lynn Mitchell13 Fostering Civic Agency Through Engaged Leadership: A Collaborative Multi-Tiered Framework for Democratic Engagement – David J. Roof14 Empowering Educational Leaders as Equity Advocates: Strategies for Navigating Policy Landscapes through IDEAL – Robert White15 Bridging the Opportunity Gap: Empowering School Leaders to Champion Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for Democratic Engagement – Justin L. Alexander16 Rural Schools and Equitable Political Advocacy: Place-Based Leadership for Policy and Practice – Charles L. LowerySECTION IV - Future-Oriented Political Literacy and Technology: Navigating Democracy and Equity in an Everchanging World17 Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies to Enhance Democratic Participation and Political Literacy in K-12 Schools – Köksal Banoglu18 Leading with Political Intelligence: Preparing Future Politically Literate Generations in an AI-Driven World – Son T. Pham19 A Critical Analysis of the Educational Implications of a “Mandate for Leadership” – Anthony Walker, Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam, & Michel E. Hess20 Reflecting on Political Literacy in the Truth-Telling Moment of Educational Leadership – Charles L. Lowery, Chetanath Gautam, & Patrick M. JenlinkIndex

Most scholarship examining politics and educational leadership stops short at critique alone. That is not the case with this volume. While decidedly critical in their stances, these scholars go beyond critique to offer guidance for navigating political contexts and building capacity to operate effectively within today’s environment. Such guidance is needed now more than ever.