Spectral Presence and Community Preservation: Examining the Historical Development of Principal Preparation Programs Through a Genealogical Analysis

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Equitable Community Partnership for Educational Research

Abstract

Principal preparation programs perpetuate ideologies that silo school leaders from communities they serve. This study introduces community preservation—school leaders intentionally learning from and honoring their community histories and knowledge systems—as an alternative framework emphasizing reciprocal relationships. Using Foucault's genealogical method and Derrida's hauntology, I traced intellectual genealogies through 30 scholarly articles spanning the 20th century, beginning with Leithwood et al.'s (2004). Employing a zombie metaphor, the analysis reveals how colonial educational practices spread through preparation programs privileging western epsitemologies. This research proposes community preservation as a framework for developing leaders capable of authentic community engagement rather than perpetuating colonial mindsets.

Author

• Karina Flores-Camacho, University of Wisconsin - Madison