Educative leadership for matters of complexity and contestation: Working through the contradictions of international schools

ABSTRACT

School leaders negotiate competing priorities. International schools’ typically represent society’s elite, while their mission and values refer to education for a just and equitable world. I argue that the complexities and contradictions common to international schools requires a concept and approach to leadership that enables the negotiation of difference. I take a recent process undertaken by the Council of International Schools (CIS) in response to recent global anti-racism movements as an example representing the practice of ‘industry’, ‘thought’, and ‘educative’ leadership. I then argue that educative leadership is particularly appropriate for international schools in working through complex and contested issues.

KEYWORDS:

• International schooling
• Leadership
• educative leadership
• equity
• diversity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. https://www.cois.org/about-cis/mission-and-vision.

2. https://www.cois.org/about-cis/mission-and-vision.

3. https://www.uwc.org/about.