Thesis advisor: Andrew F. Miller / This qualitative case study of a single district explored how Latinx educational leaders made sense of their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic and our nation’s recent racial reckoning. The district in this study claimed a commitment to anti-racist practice through their mission, vision, and public commitment. To respond to the research question, a culturally responsive leadership conceptual framework from Khalifa et al. (2016) and Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth theory adapted from critical race theory was used. Who is in front of students matters—their identification with teachers and school leaders can have a significant impact on their outcomes (Ladson Billings, 2021; Tatum, 2017). In Massachusetts, Latinx students make up over 21% of the population, yet only 3% of educators identify as Latinx (NCES, 2018). To respond to the research question, qualitative methodology was used to collect data through six semi-structured interviews of educational leaders who identified as Latinx. The participants in the study held a variety of impactful yet non-traditional leadership roles within their schools and district. Findings revealed two important distinctions in the analysis of the data: (a) the challenges Latinx leaders face in their practice compares to national trends; and (b) participants were leading from classrooms and across the organization beyond traditional leadership roles. Furthermore, all participants had a clear understanding of the equity-centered initiatives and efforts put forth by the district to promote the district’s anti-racist commitment. This provided commonality in language across all six interview participants when making sense of their practice within the context of their work in the district. Nonetheless, incongruencies persist in how these educators perceived the impact of their leadership practice—specifically during the last two years—which exposes a disconnect between the district’s stated commitment to equity and the participants’ understanding of their practice. Additionally, a critical finding suggested that each interview participant identified strongly with their diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds as assets to supporting students. Understanding the experiences of these Latinx educational leaders—namely their challenges, biases, and microaggressions—can help develop culturally responsive schools and districts and build educators’ skill sets around supporting Latinx students. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Andrew Miller / This qualitative case study explored anti-racist educational leadership during a time of crisis, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and our nation’s recent racial reckoning, within a Massachusetts school district. The study used Critical Race Theory as its theoretical framework and Community Cultural Wealth as its conceptual framework. This study examined the experiences and perceptions of Black educational leaders and the associated outcomes of leveraging community cultural wealth for communities of color. Data were collected through interviews, a focus group, a survey, and a review of documents. Findings revealed an experience of racism for Black educational leaders consistent with research that asserts that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders face racist challenges (Frank et al, 2019). Findings also present the perception of an opportunity in this historical moment for anti-racist work at the individual and system levels through increased attention to racism across the country, specifically anti-Blackness. Black educational leadership in the district experienced a decrease in daily microaggressions. In pursuit of anti-racist work, Black educational leaders leveraged social and resistant capital to sustain them in the field. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Andrew Miller / The purpose of this study is to investigate how Asian women educational leaders perceive their instructional leadership and the ways in which their racialized and gendered experiences impact their practices. This qualitative case study is anchored by the sympathetic instructional leadership framework that includes holding high expectations in a community context, keeping a focus on instruction, and managing critical negotiations with staff. This study was conducted in a predominantly white school district with stated goals for equity. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with Asian women building leaders and education leaders. Additionally, a survey was conducted across the district about how race and gender during the pandemic and our nation’s reckoning have either posed obstacles or opened opportunities for anti-racist work. The qualitative evidence collected about instructional leadership navigation led to the emergence of three main themes: these leaders lead by empowerment and mobilization, they lead through racism, and they focus on adult learning for instructional leadership. While the district survey found a high rate of anti-racist preparation and study on the part of the participants, Asian women leaders conducted more critical negotiations with colleagues than those surveyed across the district. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.