Picking a hill to die on: discreet activism, leadership and social justice in education

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a study that explores the discreet activist strategies of educational leaders who promote social justice. Design/methodology/approach Part of a larger project, this study employed qualitative methods. In particular, researchers interviewed 26 leaders – principals, vice principals, department heads, and central office officials who presided over both homogeneous and diverse schools, departments, and districts in and around a large Canadian city. Data were analyzed during and after data collection, and themes were identified, explored, and described. Findings Given the resistance they faced in their efforts to promote social justice, leaders found that they had to be strategic in their efforts. In particular, they had to position themselves in ways that reduced their visibility and increased their credibility. When they took action, they tended to adopt subtle rather than obvious strategies. Originality/value The harsh reality for activist educational leaders who promote social justice is that they will likely have to be strategic in the way they go about their work. Given the nature of their relationships with the organizations in which they work and the power differentials within which they operate, educational leaders may have to adopt low key or discreet strategies if they are to successfully promote their social justice agendas.

Relational Mentoring for Supporting School Principals in Social Justice Leadership

“…One of the greatest challenges facing school leaders is enacting a socially just school culture within the context of the individual school and surrounding sociopolitical values of the community (Rodela et al 2020;Ryan and Tuters 2017). Schools in rural areas have very different social and political community values than a school in an inner-city urban context, and principals have to navigate the cultural and political context of the community when advocating for the varying needs of all students (Hallinger 2018;Ryan 2016).…”

“…One of the challenges we previously discussed in enacting a socially just school culture is the context of the individual school and the surrounding sociopolitical values of the community (Rodela et al 2020;Ryan and Tuters 2017). Schools in rural areas have very different sociopolitical community values than schools in inner-city urban areas.…”

“…Systems of social stratification differ from one school context to the next, and empowering novice principals to serve as change agents to address injustices has its challenges. In navigating sociopolitical communities, Ryan and Tuters (2017) advocate for discreet activism by keeping a low profile, projecting credibility, nurturing relationships, aligning one's work with district priorities, planting equity seeds with stakeholders, and prioritizing actions to take. Mentors who share similar contexts can model discreet activism for novice principals that support social justice leadership and empower them to take action.…”

Which Hill Would You Die on?: Examining the Use of War-Normalizing Metaphors in Social Justice Leaders’ Discourse and Practice

“…Identifying factions and building a critical mass of supporters over time are also consistent with Gramsci’s conception of the war of position as a “strategic and organic…persistent counter-hegemonic struggle” (Egan, 2016, p. 439), where defense forces build reserves and reinforcements to resist attack and use resources strategically to identify structural weaknesses. Ryan and Armstrong (2016) and Ryan and Tuters (2014) describe these kinds of behaviors as quiet activism, whereby individuals work silently against the goals of an organization from within as opposed to loudly protesting or working against it from the outside. While less pronounced than loud activism, it is clear from the participants’ reports that quiet activism and subterfuge are effective defensive strategies when dealing with power and protecting one’s career.…”

Potenciando La Coordinación Pedagógica a Través Del Liderazgo De Los Mandos Medios en Educación Secundaria. Revisión Sistemática

“…Sin embargo, cuando se trata de alcanzar la mejora, parecen no estar definidas y clarificadas cuáles son las capacidades y las funciones de estos agentes las cuales se ven influidas por múltiples elementos personales y contextuales (Javadi, Bush y Ng, 2017). Es por ello, que una de las líneas de estudio que puede identificarse se centra en clarificar cuáles son los roles que desempeñan, y más aún, la relevancia de ciertas capacidades en el desarrollo de un liderazgo dirigido a la mejora (Ryan y Tuters, 2017;Shaked y Schechter, 2017).…”