Latinas Leading Schools

As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Mendez-Morse, 2000; Mendez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to: isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring (Mendez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear, hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Munoz, 2016), balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations (Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula, 2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantu, & Rocha, 2016). The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and expand our understanding of how Latinas’ success as school and district leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship, comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo, con y para la omunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo) escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.

Latino Educational Leadership acknowledges the unique preparation and support for both Latinx educational leaders and Latino communities needed throughout the education and policy pipeline. While leadership in communities exists for educational purposes, this effort focuses on the institutional aspect of Latino Educational Leadership across K-12 schools and university settings. The purpose of this book is to create a greater collaborative focus on Latino Educational Leadership by inviting scholarly contributions and insights from both established and up-and-coming scholars. Latino Educational Leadership also advocates for the preparation of all leaders as well as the preparation of Latinx educational leaders, to serve Latino communities. Our impetus on Latino Educational Leadership primarily stems from the changing demographics of our country. As of Fall 2017, Latinx student enrollment in K-12 schools reached an all-time high, with Latinxs comprising 26.8% of the nation’s public school enrollment. Postsecondary level Latinx student enrollment has also improved; rising from 25% in 2005 to 37% in 2015. Given this growth, particularly at the K-12 level, there has been an increasing urgency to prepare and support more Latinx educational leaders. Their rich cultural and linguistic connections to communities help them more readily understand and meet the needs of Latino students and families. Aside from enrollment growth, Latinxs have made record strides in postsecondary attainment; between 2003-04 and 2013-14, bachelor's degrees more than doubled from 94,644 to 202,412, master's degrees conferred rose from 29,806 to 55,965, and doctoral degrees rose from 5, 795 to 10,665. Despite such promising gains, concern has not waned over how to best address the challenges this diverse student population continues to face in accessing, persisting, and matriculating across the P-20 Pipeline. There is still work to be done, as only 11% of all bachelor’s degrees, 9% of all master’s degrees, and 7% of all doctoral degrees were awarded to Latinxs in 2013-14. In particular, there is increasing urgency to address how higher education institutions can better prepare, develop, and retain Latinx leaders and scholars, who will serve and meet the needs of Latinx college students to ensure their academic success. Thus, the purpose of this book is to advance the knowledge related to serving Latino communities and preparing Latinx leaders.

"Eight testimonios of Latina/o/x school and district leaders reveal how community cultural wealth, which is derived from critical race theory, informed professional motivations, leadership experiences, and advocacy actions. The concept of "engraving" asks readers to consider how these leadership characteristics can be endured"--

As the general population of Latinxs in the United States burgeons, so does the population of college-going Latinx students. With more Latinxs entering college, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are not-for-profit, degree granting postsecondary institutions that enroll at least 25% Latinxs, also grows, with 523 institutions now meeting the enrollment threshold to become HSIs. But as they increase in number, the question remains: What does it mean to serve Latinx students? This edited book, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Practice: Defining “Servingness” at HSIs, fills an important gap in the literature. It features the stories of faculty, staff, and administrators who are defining “servingness” in practice at HSIs. Servingness is conceptualized as the ability of HSIs to enroll and educate Latinx students through a culturally enhancing approach that centers Latinx ways of knowing and being, with the goal of providing transformative experiences that lead to both academic and non-academic outcomes. In this book, practitioners tell their stories of success in defining servingness at HSIs. Specifically, they provide empirical and practical evidence of the results and outcomes of federally funded HSI grants, including those funded by Department of Education Title III and V grants. This edited book is ideal for higher education practitioners and scholars searching for best practices for HSIs in the United States. Administrators at HSIs, including presidents, provosts, deans, and boards of trustees, will find the book useful as they seek out ways to effectively serve Latinx and other minoritized students. Faculty who teach in higher education graduate programs can use the book to highlight practitioner engaged scholarship. Legislators and policy advocates, who fight for funding and support for HSIs at the federal level, can use the book to inform and shape a research-based Latinx educational policy agenda. The book is essential as it provides a framework that simplifies the complex phenomenon known as servingness. As HSIs become more significant in the U.S. higher education landscape, books that provide empirically based, practical examples of servingness are necessary.

The world was dealt a blow that included a pandemic and economic crisis as well as racial unrest, initiating an energized charge for social justice advocacy. The United States is currently facing an unprecedented challenge in ensuring that all citizens live in a fair, inclusive, and opportunity-rich society. These issues have heightened questions about racial justice that have been placated but can no longer be ignored. Marginalized communities cannot thrive if they continue to be oppressed, neglected, disinvested, and isolated from economic opportunity. The culture of allyship needs to be enacted thoughtfully and not performatively to create sustainable change through a critical mass of engaged advocates and activists. Many organizations enable the status quo by not confronting issues around race, gender, and equity. Leaders of color want a seat at the table as highly valued contributors for the transformation of a just and equitable America. By listening to the voices of Black and Brown leaders, the promotion of change in an era of social unrest will finally occur. Black and Brown Leadership and the Promotion of Change in an Era of Social Unrest amplifies the voices of leaders who identify as Black, LatinX, Indigenous, or people of color as they navigate leadership during a time of tumultuous change and social unrest. More specifically, it portrays dilemmas that marginalized communities encounter while advocating for justice and social change within whitestream organizational systems. The chapters delve into the definitions, perceptions, and lived experiences of Americanism, identity, otherness, and racism as it relates to leadership and discusses the issues, dilemmas, struggles, and successes that persons of color experience in leadership roles in business and education. This book is valuable for practitioners and researchers working in the field of social justice leadership in various disciplines, social justice activists and advocates, teachers, policymakers, politicians, managers, executives, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how leaders of color can succeed, navigate hostile spaces, and ultimately create a change in mindsets and practices that will lead to justice.

This practical volume provides school administrators and teachers with the information needed to convert ordinary schools into high performing schools. It offers practices for teachers and school principals to foster academic success, and strategies for involving parents in their child's education.

Advanced Theories of Educational Leadership presents recent models of leadership and analyzes their components and implications in the educational context. Each chapter features the scholarly background of each model, its components, antecedents, and critically analyzes its values and application to educational institutions. Special attention is given to issues of social justice, equity, equality, anti-racism, and the like. This core text provides aspiring school leaders and administrators with each model theory, and tools for applying it with special attention to issues of social justice, equity, diversity, and anti-racism alike. The book designed in a form of a course textbook for postgraduate students in the field of Educational Leadership and Administration in studying each model. Also, it provides professors of educational leadership in teaching contents and methods in their courses about school leadership, school improvement, Educational Leadership Development, Superintendents’ Qualification; School Leadership Professional Development, every chapter includes teaching tools, reflection questions and practice activities for students, in addition the book informs researchers, and policymakers aiming at promoting multi-faceted educational leadership for equity and excellence and robust models of leading, improving and changing schools.

This volume focuses on the important relationship between racial and ethnic identity and requirements for Latino/a educational leaders today. As the racial and ethnic diversity of communities continues to rise, there is an increasing need for the diversification of school leaders who can improve student success, retention, engagement, and successful academic achievement. This entails a deeper understanding about the role/definitions of leadership among communities of color, leadership succession, the importance of gender/ethnic differences, as well as methods for recruitment, retention and development of school administrators and other school leaders of color in education. Latina/o school leaders, their personal histories, leadership challenges related to gender and race, contributions, roles, responsibilities, and career aspirations, both personal and organizational, are undocumented in the school leadership research. A study of Latina/o leaders that examines leadership experiences, the relationship between leadership and identity, and career aspiration offers important dimensions for the field of educational leadership. For these reasons, examining Latina/os and school leadership is both timely and relevant to our K-12 schools, educational leadership programs, and changing demographics. The secondary purpose of this publication is to enrich the preparation of school administrators of color, as to the skills and knowledge necessary to serve the needs of students in contemporary times.