Latina Women as School Leaders in K-12 Education: Their Narratives of Success and Struggle

This narrative inquiry study examined the life experiences of seven Latina women administrators who are or were school principals in the K-12 educational public school system. The study was conducted in an urban K-12 school setting with a high population of Latino students. The narrative findings described how these seven Latina women administrators successfully navigated through and were able to overcome many disparities to become effective educational leaders. The interview data further gave readers an insight on ways of understanding Latina leaders' challenges and the support systems they need to attain a principal position. The analyses of their narratives were interpreted and reflected in themes of support systems and barriers encountered as they pursued a leadership role. Identified support themes were strong family values, personal beliefs, passion for the job, and support systems. Identified barriers were lack of family support, lack of district support, male-dominated environment/Good Old-Boys club, underrepresentation/lack of mentors and role models, and traditional women's role. Most importantly, interpretation of findings showed how gender stereotypes, ethnic bias, and balancing life impacted their journey. The research questions that guided this study were: (1) How did family values, culture, ethnicity, social class and gender influence these seven Latina leaders' desire to pursue a leadership role? (2) How did these Latina women describe any personal and professional obstacles throughout their journey? (3)What factors have contributed to their success in obtaining a leadership position? During the last two decades, the number of Hispanic people in the United States has multiplied. The Census Bureau reported from 1990 to 2000, the Hispanic population grew from 22.4 million to 35.3 million people, reflecting a 58% increase of this population in the United States. From 2000 to 2010, the Hispanic population increased 15.2 million to a total of 50.5 million Hispanic people in the United States. With increases in demographic diversity, foreshadowing the future challenges of education, participants emphasized the important contributions Latina leaders make as principals in K-12 schools. The perspective of these Latina women narratives suggest means of achieving change and recommendations for future research to improve recruitment, mentoring, promotion, and retention in order to value Latina educators' contributions and strengthen the leadership workforce. The significance of this study is the possibility that the personal and professional experiences, as told in the stories shared by these Latina women administrators, may enhance our understanding of this at-risk population, aiming to contribute positive counter-stories as exemplars and models for Latina youth living in the U.S.