The Role of the Principal in Transgressing the Social Construction of Race in Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Toward an Abolitionist Leadership Theory: Concepts and Cases of Anti-Racist Educational Leadership

Abstract

This paper explores the role of school leaders in dismantling the social construction of race within educational settings. It focuses on how culturally relevant pedagogy, if misapplied, can inadvertently affirm static racial categories. The objective is to argue for a shift from racial group-based educational assumptions toward individualized, empowering pedagogical approaches that emphasize student growth beyond societal stereotypes. Grounded in the theory of cultural determinism (as articulated by Franz Boas and successors), the paper contends that human behavior and potential are shaped more by culture than by biology. Cultural determinism is linked to self-determination theory, which reinforces the importance of autonomy, purpose, and social context in learning. The paper concludes that current models of culturally relevant leadership often reinforce group-based racial assumptions, which can perpetuate deficit narratives. Instead, school leaders must promote learning environments that treat culture as individual and evolving rather than static and group-bound. Teachers, supported by principals and superintendents, can reshape student beliefs and expectations, enabling transformation beyond societal racial scripts.

Author

• Cornell Thomas, Texas Christian University