Equity, Agency and the Everyday Hustle: Lessons in Resistance from Public School Principals

• In Event: Roundtable Session 14
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Empowering Educators for System Change: Preparation, Agency, Well-Being, and Evidence-Based Reform

Proposal

This study explores how public and independent school principals in the Greater Toronto Area understand and enact an Entrepreneurial Leadership Mindset (ELM) in their roles. While the original intent was to examine how flatter hierarchies in independent schools support creativity and innovation, the findings reveal a compelling counter-narrative: public school principals, often working within rigid, bureaucratic systems, demonstrate remarkable resistance, risk-taking, and social justice leadership despite limited autonomy and institutional constraints.
Using a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve principals, six from public schools and six from independent schools. Data was analyzed thematically to compare how ELM and autonomy are understood and practiced across both contexts. While independent school principals displayed a uniform and structured interpretation of ELM, often tied to innovation and business functions, public school principals offered more varied and personal definitions. Many associated ELM with advocacy, equity, and creative problem-solving rather than business-oriented goals.
A key finding is that public school principals frequently express entrepreneurial leadership through acts of resistance. They navigate institutional red tape, budget limitations, and hierarchical policies to advocate for marginalized students and implement meaningful change. These principals are driven by professional integrity and a deep commitment to equity, even when it means challenging authority or putting themselves at risk. In contrast, independent school principals benefit from trust-based autonomy, allowing for more fluid implementation of innovative practices without the same level of systemic pushback.
The study highlights how public school principals cultivate agency in restrictive environments, often "hustling" for professional development and resources, while developing personalized leadership strategies to carve out space for decision-making. Their actions embody a form of grassroots entrepreneurialism, characterized by risk-taking, creative problem solving and resourcefulness, and is deeply tied to social justice and student-centered leadership.
These findings invite a reconsideration of how entrepreneurial leadership is recognized and supported across school systems. Rather than viewing public school principals as constrained actors, this research positions them as courageous leaders innovating within, and sometimes against, the system, offering critical lessons on resilience, equity-driven leadership, and the power of resistance in hierarchical structures.

Author

• Dareen Charafeddine, OISE - University of Toronto