Educational Governance

Through research, university teaching, service as an elected school board trustee, and leadership in the charitable sector, I have developed insights into how educational governance shapes decision-making, accountability, and democratic participation.

My work explores governance in K-12 and higher education, why governance matters, the structures of educational governance, and how strong governance can contribute to the health of public education and local democracy.

Educational Governance: Examples of My Work

Attacks on school boards threaten local democracy (By Dr. Marianne A. Larsen)

This is an article I wrote for The Conversation Canada, published in Sept 2025 about the history and current situation of locally elected school boards in Ontario. The article has been read almost 5000 times.

Read the article here
Death of the Local: Towards Critical, Local Democratic School Governance. (Dec 2025) Webinar Panelist

2nd of 2 part video series about local, critical, democratic governance in Ontario education. You can watch me at 15.30, 42.30 and 56.30, 1hr 31 and 46 minutes.

Watch the Webinar
The Province Took Over Ontario’s Biggest School Boards to Fix Their Finances. The Numbers Tell a Different Story (article I'm quoted in)

Article by Wendy Leung in The Local, published 4 March 2026. I was interviewed for the piece and am quoted in it.

Read the article here
Higher Education Leadership and the Internationalization Imaginary (By M. A. Larsen & R. Al-Haque)

Book chapter I co-wrote with Dr. Al-Haque about higher education governance. It appeared in Assembling and Governing the Higher Education Institution, edited by L. Shultz & M. Vizcko.

Read the Book Chapter here

Other Areas of Dr. Larsen’s Educational Expertise

COMPARATIVE & INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

EDUCATION POLICY

HIGHER EDUCATION
INTERNATIONALIZATION

K-12 EDUCATION

TEACHER EDUCATION