Why lead?: Using narrative to explore the motivations of those aspiring to be principals in high needs schools (original) (raw)

2018, International Journal of Leadership in Education

Though research suggests identity construction and articulation of personal motivations regarding actions may be as, if not more, important to determine whether an individual may be successful in a school leadership role, collectively we know relatively little about aspiring principals' motivations for becoming school leaders. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach, this research addresses this gap directly. We find that aspiring principals in a turnaround leader preparation program (n = 9) presented three main motivations in their narratives regarding why they wished to become leaders in underperforming schools: (1) a desire to address perceived inequity, (2) a goal to catalyze educational change, and (3) a commitment to teaching and learning. Such findings allow us to consider how recruiting, developing and identifying leadership talent for high needs schools might need to be shifted to produce better outcomes for students and principals alike. An effective principal is critical to school success (Leithwood, Harris, & Strauss, 2010; Robinson, Lloyd, & Rowe, 2008). And yet, as true in many countries, in the USA, schools struggle to find strong candidates to fill these positions (Mitgang, 2003; Myung, Loeb, & Horng, 2011). This is particularly true in underperforming schools (Reyes-Guerra, Russo, Bogotch, & Vásquez-Colina, 2014); the same schools that often serve students who most need access to a high-quality education (Loeb, Kalogrides, & Horng, 2010). However, though the need and demand for high-quality leaders is clear, debates continue regarding the specific knowledge and skills necessary to do this work effectively (Cosner & Jones, 2016; Parylo & Zepeda, 2014) and how to best ensure those hired have, or develop, such capabilities in the role (Clifford, 2010; Farley-Ripple, Raffel, & Christine Welch, 2012). For example, there is growing emphasis on the need for principals to be oriented toward issues of social justice (Marshall, 2004; Rigby, 2014) as well as to build a community of trust and care among staff (Bryk & Schneider, 2002; Louis, Murphy, & Smylie, 2016). Such leadership capabilities can enhance the overarching school culture and, in doing so, foster connections and learning for students and teachers alike (Weiner & Higgins, 2017). However, recent research also suggests processes used to CONTACT Jennie Miles Weiner