This article is based on a qualitative multi case study carried out in southwestern Kenya along the border areas of Nyanza and Rift Valley province. The purpose of the research was to examine the challenges public secondary school principals faced in their leadership roles and suggest efforts they might adopt to minimize the effects of these challenges. Data was drawn from interviews with six secondary school principals, document analysis as well as participant observation. Findings indicated that principals of public secondary school are faced with challenges associated with overdependence, uncertainty and vulnerability.
Through the use of the ethnomethodological lens of narrative inquiry, we argue that the relationship between school and community is an important ingredient that shapes a child’s development and adaptation in any society. Our argument is based on the personal and professional experiences and observations of a Barbara L. Jackson Scholar who worked at an elementary school in the Midwestern United States. The school has a significant population of African-immigrant students. We postulate that schools are not intended to serve as isolated entities, and for that reason, community involvement in school activities is mandatory because it creates a conducive and positive school environment. Furthermore, we assert that principals ought to modify their daily routines and practices to accommodate the needs of immigrant communities by actively engaging in open and transparent communication with the communities they serve.
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