The power and the possibility of leading with alternative values

Abstract

A review of the current state of education for poor African-American and MexicanAmerican students reveals that these students perform below middle-and upper-class EuroAmerican students on all standard measures of achievement. The authors of this article believe that schools leaders can begin to close this gap by emulating leaders who have successfully transformed the cultures of poor Mexican-American and African-American schools, and, more specifically, by understanding the values and beliefs that guide these leaders' actions. This qualitative study examines the beliefs and values of educators in two such schools, one in Texas and one in Alabama. Four common beliefs emerged from the data: challenging the myth, cou(rage), responsible community, and knowing students. The authors argue that these beliefs are not found in traditional educational leadership discourse, do closely resemble values embraced by feminist scholars, and have strong implications for leadership preparations programmes.In this world-weary period of pervasive cynicisms, nihilisms, terrorisms, and possible extermination, there is a longing for norms and values that can make a difference, a yearning for principled resistance and struggle that can change our desperate flight.Cornel West (

Leaders and Leadership in Education

“…Hyde (1997) argues that she does not feel she can exercise a 'general social responsibility' (p. 119), while Searle (Hustler et al, 1995) sees his work as being directly connected to the community in which he is explicit about his radical approach as a socialist and as someone deeply involved in and commited to comprehensive schooling. This political role has supporters, and work in the USA by Laible and Harrington (1998) leads them to argue that administrators should have the courage and the capacity to 'stand for what is right for poor African-American and Mexican-American children, regardless of political consequences for themselves' (p. 118). Ashdown (with Rayner, 1999) argues that provision in special educational needs will only improve if parents and teachers mobilise themselves as a coherent interest group.…”