Leadership for Social Justice? A Case Study of a Principal Trying to Create a More Inclusive Urban Elementary School

• In Event: 70.015 - Leveraging Social Networks Among School Leaders

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore how one principal made sense of the marginalization of students with disabilities in a high-poverty urban public school, the actions she took to alleviate marginalization, and the impact her efforts. A sensemaking model (Spillane et al., 2002; Weick, 1995; Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, 2005) was applied to examine the principal’s experiences and understandings of school leadership, social justice, and the inclusion of a marginalized group. Findings from this study contribute to existing empirical research on social justice leadership by presenting a case of a principal engaged in social justice leadership, but struggled to maintain her commitments due to the organizational and personal challenges she experienced as a new and under-prepared leader.

Author

• David Edward DeMatthews, The University of Texas - El Paso