Encarnacion Garza

Autoethnography of a First-Time Superintendent: Challenges to Leadership for Social Justice

This autoethnography elucidates the challenges I encountered in my efforts to maintain my commitment to leadership for social justice. When I assumed the superintendency of a small rural school district in southern Texas, I started collecting data in the form of a journal. My lived experiences, as recorded in my journal, were the sole source of data for this inquiry. This study provides a descriptive analysis of my daily experiences as a first-time superintendent. Due to time limitations, this project focuses only on the first year of my superintendency, giving particular attention to the political and social factors that impeded my philosophy of social justice.

Leadership for school success: lessons from effective principals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine four case studies from the International Successful School Principalship Project to explore and highlight how the role of the principal is critically important to sustaining school success. Implications for improving the preparation of aspiring and practicing school leaders are discussed. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using multiple sources, including documents and interviews with a variety of people including the principal, other school leaders, teachers, school council/board members, parents and students. Each case study was analyzed to understand how the principal and other leadership contributed to school success. Findings – There were several core dimensions of the principals’ leadership that led to sustained school success. Principals clearly articulated views on education and helped their schools set appropriate directions. They were all concerned with the professional development of teachers to build capacity and teacher leaders...

Successful school leadership in Sweden and the US: Contexts of social responsibility and individualism

Purpose – The purpose of this cross-cultural study of schools in Sweden and Texas is to examine the cultural contexts of schools in both settings, and the leadership role of principals in creating ...

Successful White Female Teachers of Mexican American Students of Low Socioeconomic Status.

This research project is a qualitative study of 4 White female elementary school teachers working in an urban school district populated by primarily Mexican American students. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documents. This study examines the perceptions, beliefs, and life experiences of White female teachers and the practices they bring to their classrooms. An important component of this study is an attempt to understand not only pedagogy but also how White, middle-class, female teachers have come to see their role in social justice as it relates to equity and excellence for all children.

The Urban School Leaders Collaborative Twelve Years of Promoting Leadership for Social Justice

The purpose of this study was to analyze and report on a “different” model of leadership preparation that was customized to prepare school leaders to practice in schools where the student population is predominantly Latino and in an urban school setting. It is a preparation program designed to advance interactive collaboration between students, professors, and school district administrators. The Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC), now in its 12th year, is a cohort-based principal preparation program dedicated to developing leadership capacity within San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), the third largest school district in the city.

Leadership Succession and Successful Leadership: The Case of Laura Martinez.

This case study follows the work of principal Laura Martinez as moving from leading Stevens Elementary for 9 years, and now opening a new P–8th grade academy in the same south Texas urban, inner-city district. The purpose of this case study was to observe successful leadership and the principals strategies both in her previous and present school, and how she applied some of the same practices in the new school to establish an exemplary campus.

When Hispanic Students Are Not Expected to Succeed: A Successful Principal's Experience.

This case focuses on culturally responsive leadership. Culturally responsive leadership is defined here by the way the principal manifests his or her advocacy for the children he or she serves. In this principal’s case, the authors analyze characteristics of culturally responsive leadership in an inner-city elementary school with a majority of Hispanic students. During her tenure as a principal at Stephens, Ms. Martinez sharply raised the academic performance of students. However, far from idyllic, her experience in the school involved courage and resilience.