Embracing the Race: How Black Women Principals Construct Their Professional Identities in Ontario Schools
Abstract
Although developments in provincial and school-level policies have increased the number of Black leaders in Canadian K-12 schools, research on Black women leaders continues to be disproportionality underrepresented in education leadership and administration (ELA) research. Of the studies conducted on Black principals, the intersection of their race-and-gendered identity markers are not adequately addressed nor presented in most literature (Armstrong & Mitchell, 2017; Lomotey, 2019; Mponguse, 2010; Nickens & Washington, 2017), particularly in spaces where the study of principals’ professional identities is linked to achieving school reform initiatives. While the extant literature on school improvement acknowledges principals as key sources of knowledge, there remains a space in ELA literature for a deeper interrogation of Black women principals’ professional identities in a Canadian context. In response to this gap in the literature, the present qualitative study uses a narrative life history (life history) approach to examine how seven Black women principals construct their professional identities in Ontario school districts. Focusing on the historical, political, and sociocultural tensions that encompass the race-and-gendered identity of the Black woman, this study draws on the tenets of intersectionality as a conceptual framework for situating the narratives shared by participants.
Findings from semi-structured interviews reveal that Black women obtain leadership positions based on contingent situations and context-related circumstances, that is, through shoulder-tapping or employment equity initiatives—where being at the right place at the right time affords them entrance into leadership. When finally in these roles, Black women must then construct their professional identities in racially contentious environments characterized by a lack of organizational supports, absence of mentorship, and limited career advancement opportunities. All while simultaneously being held to higher standards of practice than their counterparts. This dissertation offers novel strategies for re-examining professional standards outlined in the Ontario Leadership Framework (OLF; The Institute for Education Leadership, 2013), the deployment of school board mentorship programs, and principal recruitment processes. Given that school improvement initiatives identify principals as key agents for change, this study provides significant insights and contributions for leadership theorization, school leader preparation program development, and practitioners’ understanding of principal practices in Ontario’s K-12 public schools.