43.051 - Democratizing Education Through Transformative Leadership to Meet the Needs of Minoritized Students

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This international and multi-vocal symposium will demonstrate how taking an equity-oriented, transformative approach to educational leadership can positively impact the academic-self-concept and educational attainment of all students, with particular emphasis on those who have been minoritized or marginalized. We will present evidence that a different, explicitly equity-oriented “transformative approach” to both educational leadership (Shields, 2017) and its related research (Mertens, 2010) has the potential to support schools that are inclusive, equitable, excellent, and socially just. It will refute current calls for a non-affirmative approach to curriculum and leadership (Uljens & Ylimaki, 2017) and instead, emphasize “the fundamental principles of the transformative axiological assumption [which] are enhancement of social justice, furtherance of human rights, and respect for cultural norms” (p. 470).

Sub Unit

• SIG-Leadership for Social Justice

Chair

• Lyle Donald Hamm, University of New Brunswick

Papers

• Identifying Equity-Oriented Transformative Leaders - Carolyn M. Shields, Wayne State University

• Just Leadership: A Transformative Journey Toward Justice - Thomas Arnold Zook, Just Leadership Consulting

• Transformative Training to Develop the Intercultural Competence of School Principals - Andreanne Gelinas-Proulx, Universite du Quebec en Outaouais

• Troubling the Heart-to-Heart: Exploring the Barriers to Social Justice Leadership - Erica B. Edwards, Wayne State University

• The Caterpillar Becomes a Butterfly: New Leaders Apply the Teaching of Transformative Leadership Theory to Lead Equitable Change - Kristina Astrid Hesbol, University of Denver