Developing Urban School Leaders: Building on Solutions 15 Years after the Los Angeles Riots

Abstract

The 15th Anniversary of the Los Angeles riots serves as an impetus to continue efforts in addressing how institutionalized theories, norms, and practices in schools and society lead to social, political, economic, and educational inequalities. The challenges of school inequalities continue to be chronic and remain unresolved through traditional practices, scholarship, theory, and professional training of school leaders. The intersection between urban school leadership and diversity is examined through critically reviewing hurdles that school leaders encounter, such as low socioeconomics, low representation of leaders of color, violence, and academic underachievement. We argue that urban school leaders can change school conditions by facilitating the development of proficient and culturally-competent teachers and administrators, and creating a positive school climate. Two existing frameworks were used to guide the researchers in the development of the Leadership in Diversity Continuum Model (LDCM) that can help guide leaders in their efforts to transform schools through an introspective analysis of their own identity development.

Notes

1. Minority is used to reference African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. However, it must be understood that issues impacting these groups are applicable to other underserved populations, such as women, low-income Whites, and the disabled.

2. A large city is defined by National Center on Education Statistics (2004) as having a population greater than or equal to 250,000 people.

3. The terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably to refer to persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, Spanish, and other Latin American descent.

4. When the authors first collected data on the graduation rates for the Los Angeles County, data was found on the California Department of Education website which revealed that graduation rates for African American and Hispanic students in Los Angeles County were 11% and 50% respectively. However, since then the authors have been unable to locate these figures.

5. Proportional Representation is a relative numerical or percentage comparison between the racial/ethnic background of students, administrators, teachers and other school personnel nationwide.