Challenging the Dominant Narrative: Liderazgo for Emergent Bilingual Latina/o Students

• In Event: 31.023 - Challenging the Dominant Narratives: Social Justice Leadership in High-Needs Contexts

Abstract

The growing “Latinization” of the Unites States is drastically changing the racial and linguistic landscape of the students we serve in US schools (Irizarry, 2011). In this paper, we utilize an emerging framework that we refer to as Liderazgo to understand how leadership fosters a responsive school for EBLS. In this study we use counter storytelling as a qualitative method to further operationalize liderazgo from the testimonios of a principal and school community that aim to create a culturally and linguistically responsive school for EBLS. We found that liderazgo was operationalized across the following themes: dual language as the starting point and foundation for equity; drawing on experiential knowledge as a strength; and fostering relationships through cariño y confianza.

Authors

• Joseph Wiemelt, Urbana School District 116

• Anjale DeVawn Welton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign