Leading through the challenge of change: African-American women principals on small school reform

Abstract

The context of education is changing based upon social, political, and accountability factors. As a result, many large urban districts have turned to small school reform in efforts to address student learning outcomes. Research demonstrates that effective leadership influences school achievement and culture. This qualitative study examines the leadership of two African-American female principals charged with implementing small school reform in an urban district. Each principal experienced challenges related to race, gender, and age, as well as challenges in harnessing district support to implement the reform with integrity. The tenets of Afrocentric feminist epistemology are used to explicate the experiences of these Black female principals.

Keywords:

• African-American women principals
• small school reform
• intersectionality
• leadership

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Drs. Brown and Marshall for sharing their stories and being fearless in continuing this work.

Notes

1. All names of persons and places in the data are pseudonyms.