Recognizing and Claiming Latina Leadership: Beyond Bridging and Bonding

• In Event: “La Baila” Mentoring Frameworks for Advancing Latinas as School Leaders

Abstract

Recruiting and retaining Latina school-leaders has always been a struggle. Today that struggle is enormously important and impactful to our Latinx students. Although studies have repeatedly shown that student achievement increases when leaders who reflect the demographic are present at school sites (Grissom et al., 2017; Karadağ et al., 2015), Latinas continue to be significantly underrepresented in K-12 school and district administrative positions (Carroll, 2021).

This presentation discusses strategies for successfully recruiting, retaining, supporting, and coaching Latina administrators. First, the presentations describes the importance of ensuring that administrative ranks reflect a diverse workforce in multiple respects. Valuing and recognizing diversity is imperative to maintaining a competitive advantage, enhancing productivity and effectiveness, and sustaining competitiveness. Next, participant stories are highlighted and focuses on their experiences with the recruitment, selection, and retention in educational administration positions. Participants share their experiences firsthand, often struggling through various emotions in various states of disbelief.

Finally, the presentation will provide specific strategies that have been proven to be successful when recruiting and retaining Latina administrators, strategies that have been confirmed by the participants. These strategies include but are not limited to active and targeted recruitment, one-to-one personal outreach, and support systems (e.g., networking, mentoring, and coaching), all tailored to Latinas. This section also explores barriers in public education’s hiring process by touching on issues regarding recruitment, hiring committees, and the interview process.

Author

• Rosa Coronado