As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings
together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across
the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and
struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools
and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina
administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in
their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their
cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez &
Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Méndez-Morse, 2000;
Méndez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same
time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to:
isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring
(Méndez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear,
hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Muñoz, 2016),
balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations
(Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula,
2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantú, & Rocha, 2016).
The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and
expand our understanding of how Latinas' success as school and district
leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of
familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and
advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four
topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the
field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship,
comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo,
con y para la comunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo)
escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of
others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.
