The thinking that policy is just a set of written rules is examined and challenged in this course by looking behind the printed words at the stories of people who shape and are shaped by policy. How policies come into being in response to human and non-human concerns is explored, as well as how policies govern to create coherence or challenges. A central concern is differences in interpretation of policies, and consideration of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, as well as the effects interpretation might have on different groups of learners and staff. Throughout the course are examined the multiple roles of educational leaders as policy actors who are engaged in interpreting, translating, resisting, and enacting policy daily.