Leadership in Australian Rural Schools: Bush Track, Fast Track

Due to the difficulties inherent in staffing rural schools it is increasingly common for beginning teachers to fill school leadership roles early in their careers. The accelerated progression of some teachers impacts on the overall nature of leadership in rural schools and creates unique pathways, generally different from those available to teachers who work in large urban centres, that fast-track individuals from student teacher to beginning teacher to school leader. This paper draws on interviews with eight early career educators to focus on their experiences of leadership in rural schools. Quotes from participants illustrate our discussion of the core categories that emerged from the data. Specifically, the themes of Access to Leadership Opportunities and the Nexus of Personal and Professional serve to construct an understanding of the challenges that accompany teachers' early transition to school leadership roles.