Leading for Social Justice: The Critical Role of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs

Social justice educational leadership preparation programs prepare leaders to think critically, advocate for their non-negotiables, and reflect on their practice. This case study analyzes the experiences of principals who are alumni of the Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC). The USLC is the only social justice oriented educational leadership preparation program in Texas with national recognition from the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). The participants, current USLC principals, share their experiences, which are coded for transferred practices from the USLC. The data is organized by the conceptual framework, The Pedagogy of Collective Critical Consciousness (PCCC) and interpreted through the theoretical framework, Critical white Feminisms (CwF). This research bids the question: What are the lived experiences of current USLC principals? Through this study, we can better understand the experiences of graduates of a social justice oriented educational leadership preparation program, once they have graduated and work as principals.