Engaging Families and Communities Through Culturally Relevant Leadership

Abstract

This entry addresses ways (pre)school leaders can support teachers' authentic engagement with families and communities, honoring the unique expertise of culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse students, their families, and communities. Key recommendations are drawn from research informed by critical and sociocultural approaches. Recommendations highlight ways to position the strengths of cultural and linguistic practices in immigrant households centrally in (pre)school policies and practices. They help us envision ways in which (pre)school leadership can be (re)conceptualized to support teaching and learning in ways that result in high expectations, cultural competence, and critical consciousness. Recommended leadership practices include employing culturally relevant leadership and (re)positioning family and community members as worthy and essential partners. Policy and pedagogical implications include developing an equity‐ and excellence‐based participatory school philosophy; embracing the notion of respeto by utilizing assets inventories, bilingual programming, and home visits; and employing shared leadership that empowers immigrant parents and families.

Equity/Social Justice, Instrumentalism/Neoliberalism: Dueling Discourses of Dual Language in Principals’ Talk About Their Programs

“…Principal S exhibits what Souto‐Manning et al (2016) called courageous leadership and reflects a strategy that several principals mentioned: include ELLs now and ask forgiveness later if caught. Another strategy that principals mentioned was to have students avoid taking the state English exam, the AZELLA, in the first place—since a low AZELLA score was the criterion for exclusion from DL—by alerting parents not to mark any languages other than English on the home language survey.…”

“…First, the principals elevated and centered Latinx students’ knowledge and experiences in school and curriculum; second, they recognized and sought to counter policies and practices that marginalize Latinx students; third, they involved their whole school community in striving for more equitable social conditions; and fourth, they challenged racism and linguicism in school and beyond. These principals therefore displayed stances and traits of courageous leadership , including willingness and ability to navigate external policy pressures while staying true to their own aims and the aims of the program (Souto‐Manning et al, 2016). They also demonstrated elements of social justice leadership , including engaging in social critique, posing problems, and generating solutions that actively work to counter past and present injustices (Anderson, 2009; Izquierdo, DeMatthews, Knight, & Coviello, 2019; Theoharis, 2007; Theoharis & O’Toole, 2011).…”

“…In DL schools, based on their knowledge and beliefs about language and learners, principals make decisions that can sustain or dismantle DL programs, as well as maintain or disrupt the larger status quo (Alanís & Rodríguez, 2008; DeMatthews & Izquierdo, 2018; Menken, 2017; Theoharis & O’Toole, 2011). Souto‐Manning, Madrigal, Malik, and Martell (2016) argued that all principals, but in particular DL principals, must therefore demonstrate “courageous leadership,” or the ability to navigate policy pressures from outside the school—from explicit English‐only policies to implicit nudges toward English through tools like state assessments—in ways that do not compromise the mission of their programs (e.g., Izquierdo, DeMatthews, Balderas, & Gregory, 2019; Menken & Solorza, 2015).…”

Ethnic Studies and Creating Transformative Change in California Schools

“…Despite the changing demographics in suburban and urban schools, researchers such as Delgado Bernal (2002) found teachers often do not teach in culturally responsive ways, which creates a disconnect between teachers and students of color that is detrimental to their learning. Additionally, there is a dearth of ongoing professional development to help teachers change and update their pedagogical approaches specifically to meet the needs of students of color (Souto-Manning et al, 2016).…”

“…Kohli et al (2017) argued there are many forms of "colorblind racism" in K12 education and that silence around the important role of race in education perpetuates and legitimates racism. Numerous scholars such as Amos (2016), Kohli (2016), andSouto-Manning andCherevu (2016) argued that silence about race perpetuates harmful, racist policies and racial climates that are hostile toward students of color (as cited in Kohli et al, 2017, p. 189). These damaging and sweeping inequities demand attention, and researchers and educators committed to improving the academic experiences of students of color and creating more equitable schools must examine not only the landscape of urban education, but the changing nature of suburban schools as well (Chapman, 2014;Chapman et al, 2014;Lewis-McCoy, 2018).…”