EQUITY WARRIORS: BUILDING PRINCIPAL CAPACITY TO ENACT CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE LEADERSHIP

Abstract

The purpose of this participatory action research (PAR) study was to examine the extent to which elementary school leaders enacted culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) practices with the ultimate goal of serving students who have been marginalized (Khalifa et al., 2016). As a district assistant superintendent, I supported four school leaders in building their capacities to become more effective at creating culturally responsive school environments. In a 15-month study using participatory action and activist research methodology with the principals as co-practitioner researchers, we found that humanizing the leadership development space is an essential precondition for school leaders to effectively enact CRSL actions. The structure of the study afforded the principals a space to be vulnerable, examine their professional identities, form partnerships with each other, fortify their knowledge and skills, and move from the state of increased awareness about CRSL to enacting CRSL behaviors (Khalifa et al., 2016; Khalifa, 2018; Theoharis, 2010). Additionally, the leaders felt the network of support was the key factor in their critical self-reflection or praxis and ability to develop systems thinking. Educational leaders do not acquire new knowledge and skills alone; they need and benefit from a supportive and trusting environment of peers who share values and are committed to individual and collective growth as leaders. In such a space, they feel safe to talk about their misgivings, missteps, misfortunes, and worries so that they can enact their espoused values (Argyris and Schön, 1974). The study is significant for district leaders who supervise principals because the process is transferable to other contexts and provides a clear direction for district supervisors in supporting school leaders to be more effective culturally responsive leaders.