Storying as Preparation for Educational Leadership: Inverting Power Dynamics Through Inclusive Inquiries and Collective Engagement

• In Event: Manifestations of Equity Practices in Leadership Preparation

Abstract

Educational leadership programs often aspire to prepare leaders to advance social justice and equity in schools, but developing candidates’ capacity to change inequitable systems requires bridging the distance between coursework and practical application, particularly regarding community engagement. This paper describes an ongoing collaborative inquiry project designed by faculty in an educational leadership department, focused on the use of storying as a pedagogical method to encourage leadership candidates to meaningfully engage with traditionally marginalized members of school communities through seeking to learn from their personal stories about systems in their context. Initial findings demonstrated that storying could be a component of powerful learning experiences for leadership and community engagement for equity and justice, and a path for leadership program improvements.

Authors

• Antoinette Ryan, Central Connecticut State University

• Wesley Henry, Sacred Heart University

• Shannon Holder, Central Connecticut State University