David E. DeMatthews

Social Justice Leadership and Inclusion: Exploring Challenges in an Urban District Struggling to Address Inequities.

Research Approach: This cross case study describes the challenges that two principals working in one urban school district addressed while attempting to transform their school cultures to embrace an inclusion model. Analysis of interviews and observations in each school revealed the actions, values, and orientations of the individual leaders and the influences of conflicts and dilemmas that exist in social justice work. Findings: The article describes how two principals enacted social justice leadership by making decisions that addressed resistance and challenges to inclusion. Implications for administrator preparation, future research, and theory are presented.

Making Sense of Social Justice Leadership: A Case Study of a Principal’s Experiences to Create a More Inclusive School

Social justice leadership in high-poverty urban schools is complex. Principals experience a range of feelings and emotions while practicing social justice leadership with implications on their leadership. This article presents a qualitative case study of an elementary school principal in an urban setting and how she led to create a more inclusive school. Sensemaking theory was applied to examine the principal’s experiences leading for social justice and how successes, challenges, and failures influenced her leadership. Findings have implications for theory, future research, and principal selection, preparation, and training.

Social justice dilemmas: evidence on the successes and shortcomings of three principals trying to make a difference

Abstract Social justice leadership has become a popular topic and catchphrase in the field of educational leadership. However, most scholarly and empirical contributions have ignored the inherent tensions, challenges and dilemmas associated with the practice of school leadership and the realities principals confront on a daily basis. This is partly because researchers have tended to ignore multiple facets of justice in their empirical investigations as well as how larger forces outside the school associated with historical, political, social and economic injustices marginalize students and communities. This article explores three cases of challenging school–community contexts that confound and partially subdue the efforts of well-intentioned principals. Each case highlights a dedicated principal committed to their school and community, and documents the significant progress made in addressing particular social justice issues, but also how they confronted justice dilemmas that they believed required them to prioritize certain social justice issues over others. These findings have important implications for how principals view their communities and engage in critical reflection about the leadership decisions and actions they take on a daily basis. This article concludes with implications for future research and a discussion of how aspiring principals can be better prepared to lead for social justice and effectively address justice dilemmas without ignoring or putting off other injustices.

Guilty as Charged? Principals’ Perspectives on Disciplinary Practices and the Racial Discipline Gap:

Background: For decades, Black students have been more likely to be suspended than their White peers despite any evidence suggesting they are more likely to misbehave. This research builds on critical race theory and social justice leadership to explore and contextualize leadership practice as it relates to the racial discipline gap. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to understand how race and school context contribute to the ways principals enact discipline. Findings: Our study highlights the manner in which principals serve as key disciplinary decision makers, advocates, and intermediaries between districts, teachers, students, and families. Overall, some principals described enacting what could be called harsh punishment in the name of neutrality, consistency, and/or racial bias, while others described resisting institutional racism, challenging the status quo, and engaging in disciplinary approaches that address antecedents to misconduct and teach students about their behavior. Conclusion: These findings suggest that principal preparation programs must support students in identifying and exploring the systematic racism operating broadly in their districts and locally in their schools.

School Leadership for Dual Language Education: A Social Justice Approach

Abstract This article examines how a dual language program can be developed within the framework of social justice leadership. The authors analyzed principal, teacher, and parent interview transcripts as well as field notes and key documents to understand the role of school leadership in creating inclusive dual language programs to close the Latina/o–White achievement gap. Findings suggest the importance of family–teacher support, multiple stakeholder perspectives, teacher recruitment, and ongoing professional development and program evaluation.

Effective Leadership Is Not Enough: Critical Approaches to Closing the Racial Discipline Gap.

Abstract A review of student discipline and suspension data disaggregated by race highlights how school leader biases influence disciplinary decisions. Yet, the majority of principal preparation programs have failed to develop structures and norms that result in critical conversations pertaining to race and racial inequities. This article is written from a stance that school leaders must move away from traditional leadership approaches and toward a social justice leadership orientation that creates critical spaces and discourses, empowers communities, and enables the adoption of social justice practices in all aspects of the school. After reviewing literature on critical race theory and social justice leadership, three leadership action areas are recommended to support principals and assistant principals in closing the racial discipline gap.

Social Justice Leadership and Family Engagement A Successful Case From Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

Research Approach: This in-depth qualitative case study explores one school leader’s enactment of social justice leadership in an elementary school in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Analysis of interviews and observations revealed how this leader adapted her leadership to prioritize the severe needs of families and students in one of the world’s most violent cities. Findings: The article describes how the leader made sense of the community and its needs. Then, it examines how the leader enacted social justice leadership by addressing the out-of-school challenges that affected student achievement and well-being. Consequently, the leader’s focus shifted toward meaningful family engagement through adult education, community advocacy, and critical questioning of the status quo. Implications: Implications for future research, theory, and administrator preparation programs are presented at the conclusion of the article.

How to Improve Curriculum Leadership: Integrating Leadership Theory and Management Strategies

Abstract Principals play an important role in developing high quality, critical, and community-oriented curriculum leadership and renewal. Curriculum leadership is complex and challenging for new and veteran principals. The purpose of this article is to provide an approach to curriculum leadership that weaves theories of leadership together with quality management techniques. Each step in the process requires principals to think about and apply dimensions of instructional, distributed, and social justice leadership theories. These approaches to leadership and management will support the development of a school that is more conducive to positive change, a school culture that embraces collaboration, and faculty and staff who are willing to go above and beyond for their students and their diverse needs.

The Importance of Principals Supporting Dual Language Education: A Social Justice Leadership Framework

ABSTRACT Recent calls for social justice to be a key aspect of principal preparation have been made, but content related to the efficacy of dual language education has been a neglected area of educational leadership research, coursework, and principal preparation standards. We draw on scholarship focused on dual language education, social justice leadership, and the new Professional Standards for Educational Leadership to describe how principals can create dual language programs and lead for social justice and conclude with implications for preparation programs.

Preparing principals on the U.S.-Mexico border and beyond: A call to confront fear, uncertainty, and the marginalization of Mexican American Students

ABSTRACT The recent presidential election and an increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric and deportations foster greater uncertainty and fear in Mexican American immigrant communities. In the border city of El Paso, Texas, teachers and principals report how fear and uncertainty negatively impact their campuses, students, and school-family relationships. The purpose of this article is to prompt a regional and national discussion about the preparation of principals who work in Mexican American and immigrant communities, because current professional standards and so-called “best-practices” in school leadership do not sufficiently address the critical social justice issues central to supporting students and families in the present and immediate future. To catalyze this dialogue, I offer five school leadership recommendations developed in collaboration with El Paso teachers and school leaders working in Mexican American immigrant communities. I hope scholars, educators, policymakers, parents, and activists will collectively consider these recommendations as well offer other viable solutions, strategies, practices, and approaches to preparing school leaders in these uncertain and unjust times.