A Double Edge Sword: Tensions of Integration Amidst a Diversifying Public School

Commanding Through Change: A Conceptual Model for School Leadership Amid Gentrification

“…Researchers studying within-school dynamics have found that parent gentrifiers’ presence can shift the structure and function of school-based parent committees (Syeed, 2018). Further, parent gentrifiers’ status as “valued customers” (Cucchiara, 2013, p. 80) may also lead to their ability to negotiate special accommodations or resources, which may exacerbate inequity between students in gentrifying schools (Freidus, 2020b; Mordechay, 2021). We argue that how school leaders respond to gentrification-related demographic change can exacerbate existing inequities in urban schools or cultivate learning environments in which all families are welcomed and valued.…”

“…A growing body of research has investigated school leaders’ efforts to create “diverse-by-design” schools. Mordechay (2021), for example, found that racial and socioeconomic diversity was an important selling point for recruiting families to one charter school. To be sure, there is a tension between actively recruiting White and affluent families and protecting schools’ incumbent populations.…”

“…Syeed (2018), for example, documented lower-income families’ perceptions that school-sponsored tours and special events to recruit affluent families meant that schools were more accountable to affluent families’ needs and preferences. Similarly, as schools come to rely on parent gentrifiers for resources (Posey-Maddox, 2016), these parents may be able to secure special privileges and accommodations for their children (Freidus, 2020b; Mordechay, 2021). Thus, when leaders elevate affluent families and offer special privileges, they can contribute to the exclusion and marginalization of longtime resident parents, who are often from racially minoritized or economically disadvantaged households (Posey-Maddox et al, 2014a).…”

“An Opportunity to Grow Our Collective Consciousness”: Navigating Racial Tension in a Gentrifying Elementary School

“…It is within the context of striving to be antiracist and promote equity that Hamilton and other schools are faced with navigating the challenges of working with a diversifying student body, and by extension, a diversifying group of parents. In many racially diversifying, gentrifying schools, managing inequitable power dynamics among parents is a notable challenge, particularly with respect to white parents engaging in opportunity hoarding and taking power in parent organizations (Freidus, 2019; Mordechay, 2022; Roda, 2020; Siegel-Hawley et al, 2017). In addition, recruiting and retaining a diverse enrollment that does not tip into becoming a segregated, predominantly white school as the neighborhood further gentrifies is another challenge (Green et al, 2020; Mordechay & Ayscue, 2018).…”

“…As the racial and socioeconomic composition of a neighborhood change, the enrollment of the neighborhood school may also change, reflecting the shifting demographics of the local community (Green et al, 2020; Mordechay & Ayscue, 2020; Posey-Maddox, 2014). While gentrification may create an opportunity for creating a more diverse, integrated school, tensions arise that must be addressed through a focus on leadership, equity, and intercultural awareness (Mordechay, 2022; Siegel-Hawley et al, 2017). For example, middle-class, white families may view themselves as a source of value for the school and marginalize low-income families and families of color (Freidus, 2019).…”