Just Southern: Navigating the Social Construction of a Rural Community in the Press for Educational Equity

Abstract

Rural communities in the Southern US are shaped by a legacy of racial oppression carried out through educational systems, in tandem with contemporary policies that perpetuate the marginalization of minoritized students. In this qualitative, revelatory case study, we examine the experiences of rural, southern school leaders who are tasked with ensuring educational equity. Using critical place-based leadership and bonding/bridging theory, we examine the social construction of belonging in a rural southern community, and the implications for equity-centered educational leadership. We find the community maintains tight-knit bonding capital that is rooted in land ownership and racial exclusion, which is conceptualized as southernness. Educational leaders who develop bridging capital were best positioned to shift community perceptions necessary to enact educational equity.

Capacity and Control: Superintendent-School Board Relations in Locally Controlled Districts

“…Capacity is empowering (Chaskin, 2001); high-capacity boards may yield contentious board–superintendent relations because both the board and the community are empowered to enact local control. Superintendents, particularly those who are not residents of the community, may be perceived as a barrier (Sutherland et al, in press).…”

“…The superintendent oversaw a small central office, staffed by five full-time employees. The small size of the central office is typical of rural districts (Sutherland et al, in press; Wood et al, 2013), which have smaller budgets and fewer resources than nonrural districts. The organizational structure of the SU was representative of other multi-district unions in the state.…”

“…Loeb and Strunk (2007) note the definition excludes nonfinancial dimensions of local control. Yet relational dynamics between district and community leaders are a central component of locally controlled educational governance (Spillane & Thompson, 1997; Sutherland et al, 2022). Educational leaders must make sense of and negotiate for fiscal and policy decisions, ensure implementation, and communicate decisions and outcomes to their communities (Sutherland, 2022).…”

“…Having local board members appeared to increase board capacity; Jackson and Conway each had four local residents, while Ashfield had one at the start of the study, and two in 2016 when the board expanded. Rural scholars have adeptly documented the power of belonging and insider status (e.g., Corbett, 2014; McHenry-Sorber & Schafft, 2015; Sutherland et al, 2022). I also observed local board members use their social networks to solve issues of local control, such as selecting contractors or coordinating school nutrition programs with local farmers.…”

Breaking the ice: educator leaders' entré into equity and inclusion leadership in a rural high school

“…They establish personal connections with community members in various settings (Azano & Biddle, 2019). However, the metaphor of a rural community as a family can reproduce inequities and maintain the status quo, inhibiting acknowledgment of bias and racism (Sutherland et al, 2022). Insider power in rural communities is maintained through hegemonic narratives and othering, using metaphors like family to enhance authority and promote the hegemony of advantaged groups (McHenry-Sorber & Schafft, 2015).…”