Building Resilient Leadership Networks: Collaborative Approaches to Educational Opportunity in High-Needs Elementary Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership for Resilience and Equity in Rural and International Contexts

Abstract

In an elementary school deemed as high-needs within Ontario, the context of the learning is as important as school leadership. This research fills the literature void related to high-needs principal competencies at elementary schools in Ontario, Canada, with a specific focus on how collaborative networks foster leadership resilience and sustainability. This qualitative research examines how leadership competencies and partnerships function as resilience-building mechanisms in challenging educational environments to forge a new vision for educational leadership. In applying distributed leadership theory and social capital frameworks, findings reveal school leadership is increasingly complex and principals with collaborative networks demonstrate greater resilience and efficacy. This contribution highlights principal competencies that support sustainable leadership practices which enhance educational opportunities for traditionally underserved student populations.

Authors

• Umar Qureshi, University of Toronto

• Sofia Malik, University of Texas at Austin

• Joseph J. Flessa, University of Toronto - OISE