Chasing Hope: A Narrative Inquiry Into the Lived Experiences of Principals Implementing Transformational Practices 

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Transforming Educational Leadership Preparation Through Critical Praxis

Abstract

School leaders today are called upon to act as change agents, (re) imagining education through socio-ecological justice paradigms to close achievement gaps, disrupt dominant educational narratives which perpetuate inequitable social, environmental, and economic structures, and foster democratically engaged and informed citizens.  (Furman & Gruenewald, 2004; Radbourne, 2016)  Principals acting within these paradigms believe that social justice is a moral imperative (Brown, 2004) and is positioned around resistance to marginalizing structures, improving educational outcomes, and addressing systemic inequities in education (DeMatthews & Mawhinney, 2014; Rivera-McCutchen, 2014; Theoharis, 2007; Wasonga, 2009).  This paper is an excerpt from the fictional narrative, Chasing Hope, constructed from the interviews of Principals reflecting on their lived experiences promoting and delivering socio-ecological justice through transformative leadership. 

Author

• Christy Lynn Radbourne, Lakehead University