Culturally Responsive School Leadership: Incorporating “Freirean Leadership” to Confront and Dismantle Racial Injustices

• In Event: The Last Brick Shall Be the Cornerstone: Re-Mattering Black Educational Lives After the Neoliberal Wrecking Ball

Abstract

Tillman’s (2004) research study detailed the historical legacy of Black principals incorporating interpersonal caring into their leadership. Tillman (2004) asserts, “Interpersonal caring may be a necessary component of leadership for schools with predominately African American students who have been subjected to and continue to experience racism, poverty, violence, underfunded schools, disproportionate placement in special education classes, low teacher expectations, and academic achievement, which contributes to low self-esteem and underachievement” (p.133).
Love (2019) agrees that public schools are oppressive spaces for Black and Brown students who experience racial bias, incentive curriculum, and teaching practices that do not meet these students’ cultural, social, emotional, and academic needs.

Khalifa, Davis, and Gooden (2016) argue that to radically reform school climate and culture, school leaders must confront and eradicate racist policies, oppressive leadership practices, and educational inequities. Miller, Brown, and Hopson (2011) examine “exploring alternative leadership ideologies, actors, and venues to make meaningful academic and social improvements” (p. 1079). Guided by Paulo Freire’s transformative critical ideology, school leaders using Freire’s tenets of humility, hope, faith, critical thinking, and solidarity can reimagine, expand and reconceptualize educational leadership for radical social changes (Miller et al., 2011).

This paper introduces a viable alternative educational leadership model incorporating agency, activism, and “Freirean” leadership. This leadership praxis reconceptualizes traditional educational leadership models’ beliefs of social detachment, neutrality, and objectivity and uses Freirean leadership, “grounded in morality and meaning” and “principled and purposive” without the fear of professional repercussions (Miller et al. p. 1089).

Culturally Responsive School Leadership comprises four leadership domains: 1. Critical Self- Awareness, 2. Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Teacher Preparation, 3. Culturally Responsive and Inclusive School Environments, and 4. Engaging Students and Parents in Community Context. In Critical Self-Awareness, leaders understand the historical marginalization of their minoritized and marginalized students and communities’ experiences with racial injustices.

This study employs a qualitative research design using a single-bound case study. The research centers on a large urban school district in southeast Michigan. The sample population focused on three principals affected by a massive school closure and consolidation plan. The study employs one-to-one, semi-structured interviews and uses latent thematic data analysis. The research identifies principals using Culturally Responsive School Leadership behaviors who created positive and engaging schooling experiences for all stakeholders despite a tumultuous school merger experience.

Author

• James A Hearn, Wayne State University