Principal Leadership and Prioritizing Equity in An Era of Work Intensification - Must Wellbeing be Sacrificed?

Oct 15, 2026

This case explores equity, leadership, wellbeing, and work intensification through the experience of Jennifer “Jen” Barns, the new principal of Westfield Public School, a JK-8 school in Ontario. Overwhelmed by competing responsibilities and strained staff relationships, Jen struggles to mobilize a social justice initiative and to revamp an ELL program with explicit equity goals. The narrative contrasts teacher resistance and gaps in principal leadership, supported by teaching activities to identify issues and craft leadership principles for sustainable school improvement and improved wellbeing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Case Narrative

School context and student demographics

Jen Barns’ background and training

Workload, community pressures, and staff resistance

Equity-focused initiatives and outcomes

Principal Leadership and Prioritizing Equity in An Era of Work Intensification: Must Wellbeing be Sacrificed? Donna Hazel Swapp Western Univeristy Abstract This case explores themes of equity, leadership, wellbeing, and work intensification. The case follows Jennifer “Jen” Barns, the new principal at Westfield Public School, a JK-8 school in Ontario. Jen is overwhelmed by all the responsibilities of the job. She does not have a productive working relationship with her staff and is unable to get them to support a social justice initiative or take on responsibilities at the school. At first glance, it appears the issue may be with the teachers, or the equity agenda Jen is proposing to implement. However, a closer look at the case reveals gaps in principal leadership that would need to be addressed if Jen is to turn things around. Three teaching activities are included to fully situate the case and chart a course of action that includes identifying the issues in the case and developing several leadership principles that would: transform the learning environment at Westfield, foster sustainable school improvement, and improve Jen’s wellbeing. While the case casts an important gaze on the impact of an equity focus on workload and wellbeing, it also provides the basis for a discussion of the pivotal role principals play in leading schools in this contemporary era of change. Keywords: equity, leadership, wellbeing, work intensification Case Narrative Westfield Public School is a JK-8 school situated in what is considered an urban neighbourhood in Southwestern Ontario. There are 36 staff members and 400 students at Westfield. The student population is significantly diverse along ethnic, religious, racial, and cultural lines, and many students come from low socioeconomic households. As many as 160 students are English Language Learners (ELLs) and/or new immigrants. Many of the ELL students are first-generation Canadians; they were born in Canada, but their parents were not, and so English is the second, or even third, language spoken at home. Some of the new immigrant students come from English-speaking countries but bring varying vernaculars, pronunciations, accents, and cultures of English usage to the classroom. The school has a longstanding ELL program, but the new principal believes it could be revamped with an explicit equity focus to better support student learning. However, she has been struggling to get staff to engage with this focus. Jennifer “Jen” Barns has been principal at Westfield for one year and seven months, and this is her first principalship position. She taught elementary school for eight years at another school board and was the vice principal at Thompson Valley Elementary School for five years. Over her career, Jen completed specialist courses in special education, reading, and computer science. She is now enrolled in the Master of Educational Leadership program at the local university. Jen is convinced that her equity-focused initiatives will make her job more demanding at Westfield. There was not this kind of resistance to equity work during her tenure at Thompson Valley, and, based on her interactions with colleagues who lead schools across the district, her opinion is that those who do not prioritize equity initiatives appear less overworked and do not face the kinds of resistance she does at Westfield. To say that Jen is overwhelmed by the challenges of her work is putting it mildly. She is embarrassed to admit it out loud, but the spark of excitement she had when she started at Westfield has faded. The high levels of drug-and gang-related violence in the community often trickle into the school. Teachers seem to refer every issue to the office, no matter how trivial. Jen also has a few child abuse cases troubling her sleep, and many of her students have special needs. There is a multitude of formal learning programs in place for students identified as at-risk, and Jen insisted on a few oth

FAQs

Who is the central figure in the case and what role does she hold?

The case centers on Jennifer “Jen” Barns, the new principal at Westfield Public School.

What main challenge does Jen face at Westfield Public School?

Jen struggles to build productive staff relationships and to get staff to support an equity and social justice initiative, including an ELL program revamp.

What impact does work intensification have on Jen’s wellbeing?

The case links daily administrative demands, community pressures, and student needs to enormous strain, while Jen’s failing relationship-building further worsens her wellbeing and motivation.

Oct 15, 2026

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