Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

It is not a question of whether conflict within a school will occur, but rather when it will manifest and by whom. Often times, conflict occurring between key stakeholders such as teachers, parents, and students is looked upon as tainting school culture or sabotaging change strategies. However, conflict may also serve as a catalyst for larger discussions of deficit thinking or shifts in the educational practice of a school. Capitalizing on these instances of conflict as “leadable” moments, school leaders are situated to leverage conflict for social justice aims. This case centers on an elementary school principal who encounters an instance of conflict with multiple constituencies. She is challenged in her resolution of a classroom incident while recognizing that it also represents larger, school- and district-wide issues. Responding to a teacher’s approach in addressing racist and bigoted language, a parent’s frustration with her child’s schooling experience, and a district official’s concern over diversity and equal educational opportunity, the principal is thrust into the micropolitical center of a school and moved to conceptualize how leadership for social justice may be infused into the situation.

Keywords

micropolitics school culture and conflict leadership for social justice

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anderson, G.L. , & Herr, K. ( 1993). The micro-politics of student voices: Moving from diversity of bodies to diversity of voices in schools. In C. Marshall (Ed.), The new politics of race and gender (pp. 58-68). Bristol, PA: Falmer.

Auerbach, S. ( 2002). Why do they give the good classes to some and not to others?: Latino parent narratives of struggle in a college access program . Teachers College Record, 104, 1369-1392.

Dantley, M. E. , & Tillman, L. C. (2010). Social justice and moral transformative leadership. In C. Marshall & M. Oliva (Eds.), Leadership for social justice: Making revolutions in education (2nd ed., pp. 19-34). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Darling-Hammond, L. ( 2007). The flat earth and education: How America’s commitment to equity will determine our future. Educational Researcher , 36, 318-334.

Delgado Bernal, D. , Alemán, E., Jr. , & Flores, J. (2008). Negotiating and contesting transnational and transgenerational Latina/o cultural citizenship: Kindergarteners, their parents, and university students in Utah. Social Justice , 35, 28-49.

Gerzon, M. ( 2006). Leading through conflict. School Administrator , 63, 28-31.

GLSEN & Harris Interactive. (2008). The principal’s perspective: School safety, bullying and harassment, a survey of public school principals. New York: Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.

Ladson-Billings, G. ( 1996). Silences as weapons: Challenges of a Black professor teaching White students. Theory Into Practice, 35, 79-85.

López, G.R. ( 2003). The (racially neutral) politics of education: A critical race theory perspective. Educational Administration Quarterly , 39, 69-94.

10.

Lugg, C.A. ( 2003). Sissies, faggots, lezzies, and dykes: Gender, sexual orientation, and a new politics of education? Educational Administration Quarterly, 39, 95-104.

11.

Marshall, C. , & Oliva, M. ( 2010a). Building the capacities of social justice leaders. In C. Marshall & M. Oliva (Eds.), Leadership for social justice: Making revolutions in education (2nd ed., pp. 1-18). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

12.

Marshall, C. , & Oliva, M. (Eds.). (2010b). Leadership for social justice: Making revolutions in education (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

13.

Marshall, C. , & Scribner, J.D. (1991). It’s all political: Inquiry into micropolitics. Education and Urban Society, 23, 347-355.

14.

Peterson, K.D. , & Deal, T.E. ( 1998). How leaders influence the culture of schools. Educational Leadership, 56, 28-30.

15.

Schattschneider, E.E. ( 1960). The semi-sovereign people. New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

16.

Spring, J. ( 2005). Conflict of interests: The politics of American education (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

17.

Stout, R.T. , Tallerico, M. , & Scribner, K.P. (1995). Values: The "what?" of the politics of education. In J. D. Scribner & D. H. Layton (Eds.), The study of educational politics (pp. 5-20). Washington, DC : Falmer.

18.

Ubben, G.C. , Hughes, L.W. , & Norris, C.J. ( 2007). The principal: Creative leadership for excellence in schools (6th ed.). Boston, MA : Pearson Education.

19.

Webb, L.D. , & Norton, M.S. ( 2003). Human resources administration: Personnel issues and needs in education (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Leveraging Conflict for Social Justice: How “Leadable” Moments Can Transform School Culture

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References