White Principals and Logics of Family and Community Engagement: Performative “Nights” to Growing Equitable Collaborations

• In Event: Racializing and Spatializing Resistance: Contextual Equity Leadership and Policy

Abstract

This study investigates how institutional logics shape White principals’ approaches to family and community engagement and examines their potential to shift from performative to more equitable, collaborative practices. Drawing on institutional theory and anti-racist leadership frameworks, the study analyzes how school-centered norms—such as “multicultural nights”—reproduce racial hierarchies by positioning families as passive recipients. Through a participatory action research project involving a racial affinity-based leadership intervention, four White principals engaged in community-asset mapping, critical reflection, and collaborative planning. Findings show that while dominant logics persist, relational, equity-centered learning experiences can spark shifts toward shared leadership with Black and Brown families. Aligned with AERA’s 2026 theme, this study explores how disrupting exclusionary traditions can help reimagine just and community-rooted educational futures.

Author

• Lindsey J. Kaiser, University of Maine