The charter school leader: An investigation of leadership qualities, knowledge, and experience

Arizona charter schools leaders have to overcome many obstacles during development, implementation, and operation of their charter schools. The purpose of this nonexperimental, qualitative research study using quantitative methods and a modified Delphi design was to identify the types of leadership qualities, knowledge, and experience needed for future charter school leaders in Arizona. The scope of the study was 20 Arizona charter school leaders who met certain qualifications. Major themes found in the research study included having enough financing to operate charter schools, finding qualified staff and having skills to manage the staff, having business management skills, and knowing regulations and legal requirements.