Examining the Foundations of Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining School Leadership: Towards a Democratic Project of Schooling in Dual Language Bilingual Education

Abstract

Purpose: Building upon the positive findings from culturally sustaining pedagogical studies, this paper explores how culturally sustaining approaches might operate on an organizational level. Examined in the context of dual language bilingual education (DLBE), this paper proposes a conceptually and empirically-guided culturally and linguistically sustaining school leadership approach (CLSL) as one option for researchers and practitioners to reimagine schools to be more affirming and sustaining for Students of Color (SOC). Research Methods: This project employed a constant comparative analysis across case studies to describe and compare culturally and linguistically sustaining mindsets and practices of DLBE principals in the state of Utah ( Miles et al., 2014 ). Data collection involved participant methods and data analysis was completed through cycles of inductive and deductive qualitative coding. Findings and Implications: The study unveiled four leadership dimensions – cultivating critical consciousness for self and community, fostering a culturally and linguistically sustaining school climate, supporting culturally sustaining pedagogies, and enacting democratic structures—that operated in tandem to configure a culturally and linguistically sustaining school leadership. The themes bridge existing literature to define culturally sustaining tenets represented in the leadership role by describing ways principals reimagined schools to benefit SOC rather than solely responding to students’ identities and maintaining assimilative student outcomes.

How are Principal Preparation Programs Preparing Leaders for Family and Community Engagement?

“…Transformational dispositions center inclusivity as expressed by attentiveness to family and community concerns and shared responsibility for student success and wellbeing (Lac & Diaz, 2022). Content in this area incorporates partnership development, community and family assets, culturally responsive practices (Leu Bonanno, 2023;Genao, 2021), and collaborative models of schooling (e.g., community schools). Transformational skills include establishing trusting relationships, developing shared goals, and collaborative practices (Stanley & Gilzene, 2022), Democratic FCE is concerned with building inclusive networks to promote justiceoriented structural change.…”

“…Transformational skills include establishing trusting relationships, developing shared goals, and collaborative practices (Stanley & Gilzene, 2022), Democratic FCE is concerned with building inclusive networks to promote justiceoriented structural change. Democratic dispositions embrace criticality (Furman, 2012 ;Lac & Diaz, 2022) and power sharing (Leu Bonanno, 2023). Democratic content includes equity-centered collaboration (Ishimaru, 2020), community-based equity audits (Green, 2017), and strategies for structural change (Genao, 2021;Ylimaki & Henderson, 2016).…”

“…Critical self-awareness also involves recognizing the inequitable conditions in schools and communities that adversely affect some children’s development and questioning how the leaders’ own beliefs and actions contribute to such conditions. Authors identified critical consciousness as necessary for preparing social justice leaders (e.g., Ylimaki & Henderson, 2016), community-based equity leaders (Lac & Diaz, 2022), linguistically (Phillips et al, 2022), and culturally responsive leaders (Genao, 2021), and culturally sustaining leaders (e.g., Leu Bonanno, 2023; Newcomer & Cowin, 2022).…”

Theorizing a Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining School Leadership: Exploring the Intersections of Cultural Sustenance and Care

“…Affirming the entirety of students requires that school leaders consider the inseparable nature of language and culture; both of which for CLD students are often marginalized (Rosa & Flores, 2017). Under culturally sustaining schooling, school leaders must consider both aspects of student identity when cultivating the school’s climate, expectations, instruction, and structures (Holmes & Young, 2018; Leu Bonanno, 2022). Emphasizing the role of a culturally and linguistically sustaining principal illuminates how schools might move from isolated and embattled pockets of cultural and linguistic sustenance to a schoolwide care-based approach.…”