Envisioning a Critical Race Praxis in K-12 Education Through Counter-Storytelling

Edited by:
Tyson E.J. Marsh, University of New Mexico
Natasha N. Croom, Iowa State University

A volume in the series: Educational Leadership for Social Justice. Editor(s): Jeffrey S. Brooks, Curtin University. Denise E. Armstrong, Brock University. Ira Bogotch, Florida Atlantic University. Sandra Harris, Lamar University. Whitney Sherman Newcomb, Virginia Commonwealth University. George Theoharis, Syracuse University.

Published 2016

While critical race theory is a framework employed by activists and scholars within and outside the confines of education, there are limited resources for leadership practitioners that provide insight into critical race theory and the possibilities of implementing a critical race praxis approach to leadership. With a continued top-down approach to educational policy and practice, it is imperative that educational leaders understand how critical race theory and praxis can assist them in utilizing their agency and roles as leaders to identify and challenge institutional and systemic racism and other forms/manifestations of oppression (Stovall, 2004). In the tradition of critical race theory, we are charged with the task of operationalizing theory into practice in the struggle for, and commitment to, social justice. Though educational leaders and leadership programs have been all but absent in this process, given their influence and power, educational leaders need to be engaged in this endeavor.

The objective of this edited volume is to draw upon critical race counter-stories and praxis for the purpose of providing leaders in training and practicing K-12 leaders with tangible narratives that demonstrate how racism and its intersectionality with other forms of oppression manifest within K-12 schooling. An additional aim of this book is to provide leaders with a working knowledge of the central tenets of critical race theory and the tools that are required in recognizing how they might be complicit in the reproduction of institutional and systemic racism and other forms of oppression. More precisely, this edited volume intends to draw upon and center the lived experiences and voices of contributors that have experienced racism in K-12 schooling. Through the use of critical race methodology and counter-storytelling (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), contributors will share and interrogate their experiences while offering current and future educational leaders insight in recognizing how racism functions within institutions and how they can address it. The intended goal of this edited volume is to translate critical race theory into practice while emphasizing the need for educational leaders to develop a critical race praxis and anti-racist approach to leadership.

CONTENTS
Introduction: Envisioning Critical Race Praxis in K-12 Leadership through Counter-Storytelling, Tyson E.J. Marsh and Natasha N. Croom. PART I—STUDENT VOICE. “We Talk but We Don’t Say Shit”: Education and the Silencing of Student Voice, Christopher Knaus. Reclaiming the Innocence of Latino Males: A Message from Middle School Latino Boys to their Teachers, Eligio Martinez, David Fernandez, Isaac Perez, and Guadalupe Montes. Fitting “Out”: How American Indian Students Make Sense of School Success, Stephanie Masta Zywicki. PART II—LEADERSHIP. The Burden of Admission: Profile of an African American Female Leader, Rachelle Rogers-Ard. Educational Leadership: A Critical, Racial, Theoretical Examination of the “We-Need-More-Leaders-of-Color” Discourse, Nicholas D. Hartlep and Aza A. Baylor. Ignored by the Board: Disrupting School Closure and Illuminating White Racism through Counter-storytelling, Antonette Aragon. PART III—TEACHING AND LEADING. Transformative Leadership and Creating Conditions to Empower Students Marginalized by Low Academic Expectations, Daniel D. Liou and René Antrop-González. Preparing Teachers to Work in Disenfranchised Communities: Deconstructing Latina/o Historical Trauma and Internalized Racism, Marcos Pizarro. Racial Justice Leadership in Disenfranchised Latina/o Communities: A Model for Walking Social Justice in Schools, Marcos Pizarro with Jaime, Rosalva Gaytan, Martha Naranjo, Carlos Navarette, and the MAESTR@S Collective.