SCHOOL LEADERS' PURSUIT of EQUITY by Osly Flores Bachelor Of
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THE NEW “EYES ON THE PRIZE”: SCHOOL LEADERS’ PURSUIT OF EQUITY by Osly Flores Bachelor of Science, Boston College, 2004 Master of Education, University of Massachusetts/Boston, 2008 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in School Leadership University of Pittsburgh 2017 Atkinson UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH School of Education This dissertation was presented by Osly Flores It was defended on May 24th, 2017 and approved by Charlene Trovato, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor Jason Mendez, Ph.D., Center for Urban Education Fellow Jill A. Perry, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor Dissertation Advisor: Michael G. Gunzenhauser, Ph.D., Associate Professor ii Copyright © by Osly Flores 2017 iii THE NEW “EYES ON THE PRIZE”: SCHOOL LEADERS’ PURSUIT OF EQUITY Osly Flores, EdD University of Pittsburgh, 2017 This study uses narrative inquiry to collect the lived experiences of eight school leaders who are guiding their schools under equitable practices. The value of narrative inquiry is that human experience is told and relived through those narrative stories of the past, of the present, and which will influence the future. In the field of education and school leadership, equity is hard to define, understand, and demonstrate. Consequently, there is a need to further study school leaders and their views, practices, and implementation of equity. This study captures school leaders’ conceptions of equity and the processes towards its realization and/or attainment. I present several significant findings using analysis of “resonant threads” and critical race theory. The findings of this study reveal distinct (and overlapping) perspectives and actions that participants took in their driven commitment toward equity. I (re)position the actions of equitable leadership by identifying two qualities that an equity leader IS NOT: one to withdraw from a challenge or stand down and (when challenging inequalities) one to favor adults over students. Also, I identified these school leaders as being equity leadership-straddlers who through their own positionalities, experiences, and desire to engage with different cultures have gained skills to successfully navigate the school environment and engage with diverse communities. In revealing their commitment towards equity the participants shared five standpoints: (1) the blending and/or crossing of boundaries between self and students, (2) heartwork, (3) role modeling, (4) as a life imperative, and (5) their principles. Moreover, in the processes of capturing how the participants understand their commitment, they reveal six methods in how iv they promote equity in their schools: (1) placing race at the forefront of what they deliberate on and what they do, (2) providing access to opportunities for students, (3) bringing in and/or fighting for resources, (4) believing in holistic approaches, (5) having relationships with a network of like-minded colleagues, and (6) modeling equitable practices. Lastly, through the collection of their stories participants reveal one’s drive in the direction of equity is supported with ethical and/or moral principles. v TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ................................................................................................................................. XIII 1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 WHY FOCUS ON SCHOOL LEADERSHIP .......................................................... 4 1.2 IN THE PURSUIT OF EQUITY ............................................................................... 6 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS......................................................................................... 8 1.4 NARRATIVE INQUIRY ............................................................................................ 9 1.5 ANTICIPATED FINDINGS/SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY ...................... 11 2.0 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ................................................................................. 14 2.1 MORAL AND/OR ETHICAL LEADERSHIP ....................................................... 15 2.1.1 Burn’s Leadership Theory ............................................................................ 19 2.1.2 Sergiovanni’s and Starratt’s Ethical/Moral leadership theory ................. 20 2.1.3 Underscoring ethical and/or moral leadership towards equity ................. 23 2.1.4 Recognizing challenges to leading ethically and/or morally ...................... 25 2.1.5 Empirical research discussing Ethical/Moral leadership ........................... 27 2.2 CRITICAL RACE THEORY .................................................................................. 30 2.2.1 Educational scholars apply CRT to educational research ......................... 32 2.2.2 Critical theory in school leadership .............................................................. 37 2.2.3 A call for Critical Race Theory in school administration .......................... 39 vi 3.0 METHODS ......................................................................................................................... 44 3.1 BACKGROUND OF NARRATIVE INQUIRY ..................................................... 45 3.1.1 Three-dimensional narrative inquiry space ................................................ 49 3.1.2 Boundaries ...................................................................................................... 50 3.1.3 Empirical research on the borderland of narrative inquiry and critical theory ...........................................................................................................................53 3.2 DATA COLLECTION .............................................................................................. 55 3.3 ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................. 62 3.4 CONSIDERATION ................................................................................................... 63 4.0 LIVED STORIES OF TWO SCHOOL LEADERS ....................................................... 72 4.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 72 4.2 THE LIVE STORY OF DR. LISA GRANT ........................................................... 74 4.2.1 Elementary school and the discovery of her academic bent ....................... 74 4.2.2 Secondary school experience ......................................................................... 74 4.2.3 The 35 cent lesson ........................................................................................... 75 4.2.4 College and overcoming challenges .............................................................. 76 4.2.5 Becoming an educator with love ................................................................... 78 4.2.6 They call me the “cleaner”: Becoming an administrator ........................... 80 4.2.7 A talent scout who puts it on the line ........................................................... 82 4.2.8 Children feel loved ......................................................................................... 83 4.2.9 I don’t do dumb .............................................................................................. 83 4.2.10 A philosophy of opportunity ....................................................................... 83 4.3 THE LIVED STORY OF JAMES CHAMBERS ................................................... 84 vii 4.3.1 Conflict in his own disposition compared to the culture of his Catholic school and a seminal moment ................................................................................... 84 4.3.2 Relationship with teachers and without a lot of stress ............................... 85 4.3.3 College and heeding to his calling ................................................................. 86 4.3.4 Life lessons and let’s ball hard ...................................................................... 87 4.3.5 The Dinner Conversation .............................................................................. 88 4.3.6 Getting into education with his swimming trunks on ................................. 89 4.3.7 Being selfless and open to others .................................................................. 91 4.3.8 Finding that role model principal and transition into the principalship .. 92 4.3.9 Sustaining a vision of leadership ................................................................... 93 4.3.10 Children should be loved ............................................................................. 94 4.3.11 Continuing to grind toward equitable environments ............................... 94 4.3.12 Being self-reflective ...................................................................................... 95 5.0 RESONANT THREADS IN LEADERSHIP .................................................................. 96 5.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 96 5.1.1 Barriers from school structures .................................................................... 97 5.1.2 High-Stakes testing ........................................................................................ 98 5.1.3 Deficit perspectives....................................................................................... 100 5.1.4 Lack of response from authority