The demographic composition of the United States population continues to change, becoming increasingly more diverse. But, unfortunately, the U.S. education system too often fails to reach all students. Historically marginalized students from groups based on race, ethnicity, class, gender, language, ability, and/or sexual orientation are routinely excluded from the mainstream school community. Since the backgrounds and interests of these students typically do not match the dominant ideologies and norms of the perceived authoritative group, their needs have largely been ignored by educational institutions (Bartlett & Garcia, 2011; Lee, 2005; Valenzuela, 1999). Therefore, it is vital that educational institutions become more flexible and inclusive. Some contemporary charter schools have aimed to do just this. They are innovative and progressive. In these schools, with the greater flexibility, leaders in charter schools are able to play important roles in shifting conventional and bureaucratic public schooling to a more organic and supportive school community that includes our increasingly diverse student population. This 18-month critical ethnographic study at Millennium High School, a small, urban, non-profit charter public school located in the Southwest United States is an example of the transformative leadership framework merging with tempered radicalism and power-with structures to develop and sustain a modern school community. I draw from 27 interviews and over 80 hours of observations, including traditional and participant observations, to develop and support my argument. My results indicate, since leadership still plays an important role in shifting educational consciousness, the contemporary transformative leader develops and sustains a larger educational community by acknowledging the importance of transformative leadership practices, tempered radicalism, and the modern school community.

In education today, Latino populations are growing, but Telles and Ortiz (2013) claim they account for the lowest academic levels and the highest levels of dropouts. Latino transfronterizo (literally border crossing) students and their parents in this study have high academic aspirations in spite of challenges of poverty, second language acquisition, and other difficulties which arise from U.S.-Mexico border contexts. Through dissecting the events of the 1990s and early 2000s, the progression of northern migration from Mexico and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 influenced anti-immigrant sentiment along the border and enactment of laws and policies to limit circumnavigating the international line. Misidentification as illegal immigrants creates borderland perceptions that Latinos are suspects and often results in discriminatory treatment from postcolonial dominant culture. This culture is reflected and perpetuated in schools where home language surveys identify native Spanish speakers to segregate them into Structured English Immersion programs for students with Limited English Proficiency. Ethnographic research from January of 2013 to August of 2015 included over 300 observations and 14 semi-structured interviews with seven transfronterizo students and nine parents revealed language disconnects between school and home. Relationships between teachers and students/parents did not exist and trust was lacking. Latino parents wanted to help students with school, but English only requirements limited their assistance. Through the use of Furman's ethic of community and Yosso's community cultural wealth, educational leaders could create communal process at schools to build the capacity of teachers and parents to create relationships and shared cultural competencies.

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