Learning From the Experiences and Development of Latina School Leaders

Abstract

Purpose: With the rise of the Latinx student population in the United States and the urgency to meet the needs of this diverse community, there has been an increased concern and interest in preparing more Latinx educators and school leaders. This study contributes to this knowledge base by centering the voices and experiences of four Latina school leaders in the United States. All of the school leaders were current or former school principals and/or assistant principals at the time of the study, with three being from Texas and one from California. Research Approach: Drawing on the methodological tenets of testimonio, this study asked: What are Latina school leaders’ professional experiences like, both positive and negative, given the intersectionality of their social identities? Utilizing intersectionality as a theoretical framework provided the means to analyze and understand Latina school leaders’ multiple social identities and the role that such identities played in their professional roles and career trajectories as school leaders within the larger context of educational politics and systemic inequities. Findings: Testimonios of participants centered on four themes related to how they confronted gender roles and expectations of motherhood, the criticality of mentorship, how they confronted and addressed racism and sexism, and harnessed bilingualism to empower self and others. Implications: Findings help inform those seeking to meet the needs of our growing Latinx student population, including school district administrators, current and upcoming school leaders, and those working to prepare a more diverse school leadership pipeline.

Leadership Journey Testimonios: Four Latina Assistant Principals Enacting Applied Critical Leadership

“…While all participants faced some degree of discrimination and/or microaggressions on the path to becoming APs, Ruth provided detailed accounts of her experiences with being stereotyped and marginalized as a bi-racial Latina student, teacher and administrator. Similar to the other APs and other Latina administrators in previous research (Hernandez et al, 2014;Martinez et al, 2016Martinez et al, , 2019Murakami et al, 2016), Ruth dealt with such hazards by converting them into fuel that propelled her forward to school leadership and a doctorate.…”

“…Findings from the National Latino Leadership Project (Almager et al, 2018; Hernandez et al, 2016; Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Méndez-Morse et al, 2015; Murakami et al, 2016, 2018), as well as the work of Martinez et al (2016, 2019), Hernandez et al (2014); Martinez & Méndez-Morse (2021a) echo these attributes among Latinx administrators and Latina school leaders in particular. Though these studies did not necessarily utilize ACL as a framework, they drew on critical and culturally responsive theories to guide them and revealed findings suggesting Latina school leaders enact ACL.…”

“…That Latina school leaders, in their roles as assistant principals, principals, central office administrators, and superintendents, can exude a strength and ability to grow others by drawing on their cultural assets; build community and do this through their commitment to live what they espouse (Almager et al, 2018; Santamaría & Jean-Marie, 2014; Santamaría & Santamaría, 2011; Santamaría et al, 2014). This is despite their tendency to confront challenges and inequities related to their raced and gendered backgrounds, among other markers of difference, in the process (Hernandez et al, 2014; Martinez et al, 2016, 2019; Martinez & Méndez-Morse, 2021a; Méndez-Morse et al, 2015).…”

“…Their testimonios are critical to the field of educational leadership given that few studies exclusively examine the experiences of this administrative group (Hernandez et al, 2016; Reyes, 2015). There are a handful of studies on Latina administrators that include both APs and principals (see Alberto, 2018; Almager et al, 2018; Martinez et al, 2016, 2019; Martinez & Rivera-McCutchen, 2021b; Méndez-Morse, 2004; Méndez-Morse et al, 2015), few studies on women APs that include Latinas among others of different racial and ethnic backgrounds (see Boske & Benavente-McEnery, 2012; Clayton & Bingham, 2018), and one study found on Latinx APs that include Latinas as well (see Hernandez et al, 2016). However, Goldring et al (2021) reify the dearth of research on APs exclusively and the tendency for studies that examine school leadership to conflate findings that include both principals and APs.…”

“…It is in this spirit that this study was designed and conducted, to share the testimonios of the leadership journeys of four Latina APs—as they represent a grossly underrepresented and under researched sector among educational leaders nationwide and continue to experience discrimination and marginalization in their roles despite their strengths as leaders (Almager et al, 2018; Hernandez et al, 2014; Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez et al, 2016, 2019; Martinez & Méndez-Morse, 2021a; Méndez-Morse et al, 2015). In tandem, ACL was adopted as a framework given that it accounts for the intersectionality of race, gender and other identity markers with leadership practice for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); recognizing how the raced, gendered, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and schooling experiences of BIPOC educational leaders positively shape their leadership practice towards equity and justice (Santamaría & Santamaría, 2011).…”