Pedagogy of the Personal and Professional: Toward a Framework for Culturally Relevant Leadership

Abstract

The social and cultural contexts of today's schools are diverse in ways that require greater attention to the educational philosophies, epistemologies, and perspectives of school leaders. In those environments where educators are not aptly prepared or willing to meet the sometimes unique needs of students who represent underserved racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, these matters move beyond the personal and become professional, as they are further complicated by high-stakes accountability standards and the prioritization of "closing the achievement gap" in schools and districts. As such, the purpose of this article is to explore more fully the research literature on culturally relevant and antiracist pedagogy in ways that can inform the practice of school leadership and explore the yet-untapped possibilities of speaking across areas of theory, research, and practice within the field of education. Specifically, we offer a framework for culturally relevant leadership that includes the following four dimensions: the political context, a pedagogical approach, a personal journey, and professional duty. Finally, we conclude with implications for research and practice.

Preparing School Leaders to Confront Opportunity Gaps in Suburban Districts

“…These influences include (1) the external pressures on leadership that come from legal mandates and community feedback; (2) organizational culture including the way an organization communicates, learns, and "flexes" in response to changing conditions; (3) organizational mission; (4) organizational strategy; and (5) the behavior of its leaders. Their model suggests that systemic change is often a result of pressure from the leadership of an organization which is uniquely situated to engage with and influence a wide array of stakeholders, exercise broad authority, and allocate critical resources (Burke & Litwin, 1992;Horsford, Grosland, & Gunn, 2011).…”

“…For leaders who have spent decades working in more homogeneous suburban school districts, the combination of increasing cultural and economic diversity combined with high levels of accountability for achievement present new and significant challenges to their roles and practices (Horsford et al, 2011;Wells et al, 2014). Despite the fact that population shifts have been in progress for decades, most school administrators report feeling largely unprepared to take on the challenges of addressing achievement and opportunity gaps in their increasingly heterogeneous districts (Hynds, 2010;Theoharis, 2007).…”

“…One challenge to preparing school leaders to implement equity initiatives is the fact that the demographics of educators have not changed much over the years: approximately 80% of teachers and administrators are White and generally derive from middle-class backgrounds (Horsford et al, 2011;Tefera et al, 2011). As such, their personal and professional experiences have largely been situated within a culture of White, Eurocentric perspectives and practices that may differ from the backgrounds of many of their students (Cooper, 2009;Horsford et al, 2011;Howard, 2006); many have personally benefited from the current hierarchical system of education (Reyna, 2008).…”

Culturally sustaining instructional leadership: Perspectives from Native American public school principals in Montana and Wyoming

“…The principal is a leader in the community -period. Thus, the principal must work within the political space (Horsford, Grosland, & Gunn, 2011) and advocate not only for school issues but community issues as well (Khalifa, 2012). As community leaders, principals must focus on correcting the wrongs of the past, and they must take up the mantle for the community and add their voice to the other voices in the community fighting to right the wrongs of the community (Johnson, 2006).…”

The Tension and Intersection between my Personal and Professional Identities as an Egyptian, Muslim Woman

“…In 2008, students of color represented 37 percent of the student body at two-year institutions, compared with 27 percent at four-year institutions. (2011, p. 3) These changing demographics require educators to become culturally competent (Horsford, Grosland, & Gunn, 2011) to efficiently serve and avoid conflict with culturally diverse students, conflicts which could occur because of educators' lack of crosscultural knowledge and understanding (Ross, 2008;Sleeter, 1993Sleeter, , 2001. Cultural competence is defined as "the ability of professionals to function successfully with people from different cultural backgrounds, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, age, and national origin" (Kohli, Huber, & Faul, 2010, p. 3).…”