Latina/o school principals: identity, leadership and advocacy

Abstract

This study sought to further define and inform about the influence of Latina/o principals in schools as an alternative to traditional forms of leadership. The principals’ Latina/o identity, their leadership styles and advocacy towards the improvement of student achievement were examined. This research focused on three questions: (a) How did Latina/o principals describe their schooling experiences?, (b) To what extent their racial/ethnic background created barriers or helped Latina/o leaders in their work as school administrators? and (c) What were the biggest challenges and successes in their current work as Latina/o school leaders? The findings indicate that Latinas/os connected their schooling experiences to those of their school’s students. These experiences shaped their identity, leadership and advocacy towards students.

Notes

1. RISE in located in the department of educational leadership and policy studies at Iowa State University.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth T. Murakami

Elizabeth Murakami Ramalho, Ph.D., is a Professor in College of Education, University of Texas of the Permian Basin, 4901 E University Blvd, Odessa, TX 79762, USA. Email: [email protected]. Her research focuses on successful school leadership and social justice at national and international levels, including research on leadership dynamics, identity, gender, race, and the academic success of Latin@ populations from P-20 to advanced professions in education. She is published in prestigious journals such as Journal of School Leadership, Educational Management Administration and Leadership (EMAL), Journal of School Administration, Academe, Journal of Studies in Higher Education, and the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.

Frank Hernandez

Frank Hernandez, Ph.D., currently serves as the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB), 4901 E University Blvd, Odessa, TX 79762, USA. Email: [email protected]. Dr. Hernandez has focused his attention on several lines of inquiry that include: Leadership for Social Justice, Latinos and School Leadership and teaching, racial identity development, and LGBTQ inclusive environments for students, teachers and leaders. He has published in top tier journals such as, Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of School Leadership, Education and the Urban Society, Journal for Research in Leadership Education and Latinos in Education. He currently has a book in press, (with Elizabeth Murakami and Gloria Rodriguez) called Abriendo Puertas, Cerrando Heridas (Opening Doors, Closing Wounds): Latinas/os Finding Work-Life Balance in Academia. Dr. Hernandez attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.

Sylvia Mendez-Morse

Sylvia Mendez-Morse, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Texas Tech University, P.O. Box 41071, Lubbock, 79409-1071 USA. Email: [email protected]. Sylvia’s current research efforts continue to investigate Latina educational leaders: their resistance, resilience, and ability to thrive. In addition she studies the influence of racial/ethnic identity in aspiring and practicing educational leaders and its influence on social justice leadership. She is a member of the National Latino/a Leadership Project. Dr. Méndez has been published in Educational Administration Quarterly, Urban Education, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, and Educational Policy Analysis Archives. She has contributed chapters to Reconsidering feminist perspectives in educational leadership, Sacred dreams: Women in the superintendency, Ethical decision making in school administration: Leadership as moral architecture. Additionally, Sylvia was a section editor for the Handbook of research on educational leadership for equity and diversity as well as contributing a chapter to this book.

Monica Byrne-Jimenez

Mónica Byrne-Jiménez, Ed.D. is an associate professor in Educational and Policy Leadership at Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549-1000, USA. Email: [email protected]. She worked in urban schools as a K-6 bilingual teacher, Even Start coordinator, literacy instructional specialist and a trainer for the Accelerated Schools Center. She co-developed the Northeast Consortium for Superintendent Leadership Advancement and co-developed an on-line curriculum for ELL leadership. She is engaged in a longitudinal evaluation of a Special Education leadership program and works with principals of schools with students with disabilities. Her scholarly interests include the intersection of ethnicity/identity in leadership, professional development for school improvement and the role of facilitators in fostering adult learning. She is coauthor of Developing Effective Principals Through Collaborative Inquiry. Other work has appeared in the Leadership and Policy in Schools Journal, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, Handbook of Research on Educational Leadership for Diversity and Equity, and Voices in Urban Education.