Paving the Way: Leadership for Korean Dual Language Programs

• In Event: From Margins to Momentum: Honoring Over 30 Years of Korean DLBE for Linguistic Justice

Abstract

This paper examines the pivotal role of leadership in developing and sustaining Korean Dual Language Programs (KDLPs). Drawing on the framework of the notion of critical consciousness in DLBE and the Korean concept of Woori (Authors, 2025), it documents the lived experiences of leaders at different institutional levels as they navigate systemic challenges and leverage strategic practices. Specifically, this study poses two questions: (1) What key challenges do KDLP leaders face in their efforts to sustain and grow programs; and (2) What strategies and supports have proven effective in expanding and strengthening KDLPs?
This study employs a narrative inquiry approach (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), which views narrative as both a phenomenon and a method for understanding lived experience. Three Korean American female educators leading KDLPs at different institutional levels in California participated in the study. Data were collected in two phases in January 2025. In the first phase, participants wrote individual reflection essays in response to prompts about their leadership trajectories, challenges, and visions for KDLPs. In the second phase, a focus group interview was conducted to further explore shared insights, strategies, and institutional dynamics. The data were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis (Riessman, 2008), attending to both personal and collective narratives within broader sociopolitical contexts. This methodological approach centers leaders’ voices while highlighting how leadership practices shape—and are shaped by—the ongoing pursuit of linguistic equity in less commonly taught language programs.
The findings highlight five persistent and interrelated challenges faced by KDLP leaders: (1) navigating sociocultural and historical barriers, including the legacy of English-only policies and the marginalization of Korean as a partner language; (2) fostering equity within school communities, particularly in strand-model programs; (3) managing strategic timing and coordination across different stakeholders; (4) sustaining long-term enrollment and family commitment in the face of attrition and limited secondary pathways; and (5) recruiting, supporting, and retaining qualified bilingual teachers. These challenges are further reframed the leaders’ positionalities as Korean American women navigating various institutional skepticism. Their reflections highlight how KDLP leadership is a complex and layered practice—requiring both emotional labor and systems-level navigation to create spaces in public education.
Regarding strategies: this study identifies four key strategies. (1) Visionary leadership and partnerships, including building shared vision, engaging parents, forming university partnerships, and leveraging transnational support; (2) Strengthening school culture and collaboration, through inclusive professional developments, relationship-building, and bridging DLI and non-DLI staff; (3) Centering families and communities, by empowering parents as advocates, offering language learning opportunities, and collecting feedback through parent steering committees; and (4) Leveraging internal and external resources, such as collaborating with Korean cultural organizations, supporting AP Korean efforts, and developing study abroad programs. These strategies underscore the importance of equity-focused, community-responsive leadership in sustaining less commonly taught language programs.
This study resurfaces the importance of intentional, relational, and equity-centered leadership in sustaining and expanding DLBEs drawn from the experiences of KDLP leaders. Ensuring linguistic diversity and equity requires moving beyond dominant language ideologies and reimagining bilingual education as a transformative project grounded in educational justice and community partnership.

Authors

• Jongyeon Joy Ee, Loyola Marymount University

• Minhye Son, California State University - Dominguez Hills