In today’s increasingly diverse global society, schools serve as places for cultural exchange and understanding. These educational spaces offer an opportunity to embrace immigrant contributions and leverage their strengths for collective growth. As an educational leader committed to equity and inclusion, I conducted a study as part of my doctoral research to better understand the practices of culturally responsive and transformative school leaders. I analysed the experiences of secondary principals (grades 6–12) working with immigrant communities.
In this article, immigrants include first-generation (foreign-born) and second-generation (native-born) students with at least one immigrant parent, whether documented or undocumented. This is a two-part article. In this part, I will discuss the first five practices of culturally responsive leaders in schools with increasing numbers of immigrant students.
Research settings
I interviewed thirteen secondary public school principals who participated in the study. They varied in gender, race, education and school level, with 2–17 years as principals and 13–40 years in education. They came from two mid-Atlantic school districts in the US, with both shared and distinct characteristics.
District 1, a mid-sized district with approximately 50,000 students who speak 80 languages, has a linguistically diverse population and an equal racial distribution. District 2, which is much larger with over 130,000 students who speak over 130 languages, has a predominantly African American and Hispanic student body and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-priced meals. The main research question was:
‘How do secondary public school principals leverage the assets of immigrant students to create a culturally responsive school environment in school districts with increasing numbers of immigrants?’
To protect identities, all names in this article are pseudonyms.
Through the principals’ stories, I pieced together themes that describe the characteristics and practices of leaders who amplify the strengths of immigrant students and families rather than focusing on perceived limitations. I will discuss how these leaders embody courage, creativity and resilience – qualities essential for dismantling inequitable systems and fostering inclusive schools.
Transformative leadership begins with critical reflection
Most principals emphasised how their backgrounds, experiences and encounters with discrimination shaped their leadership.
For instance, Principal Christopher, who grew up as an undocumented immigrant, shared how his personal journey shaped his perspective. He recalled:
Being undocumented, immigrating to the US at a young age with my mom – those experiences shaped what I do as a teacher and leader. When I entered the classroom, I had a different perspective from many of my peers who had never had an immigrant experience.
– Principal Christopher
Furthermore, when immigrant parents were excluded from parent teacher association (PTA) leadership due to their lack of formal education, Christopher actively trained and empowered them, equipping them with skills to advocate for their children. His efforts not only strengthened parental involvement but also underscored the value of diverse contributions.
For Principal Renee, critical reflection meant recognising past mistakes. She recounted a parent event where the lack of adequate interpreters led to a missed opportunity to engage families:
It was heartbreaking because it was a missed opportunity to show how much we value our families and students.
– Principal Renee
However, Renee emphasised that reflecting on such moments enabled her and her team to make necessary adjustments for better serving culturally and linguistically diverse families.
Finally, Principal Mary, a Middle Eastern immigrant, recalled a pivotal moment when she confronted a staff member who had disrespected a student with a strong accent. She also replaced an unwelcoming front office secretary to ensure that all families, particularly Hispanic parents, felt valued and respected when visiting the school.
Critical reflection helped these principals recognise diversity’s benefits, challenge biases and take transformative action. Experts of different models of school leadership for diverse populations, such as Theoharis (2010), Shields (2013) and Khalifa (2018), highlighted that school leaders who incorporate reflective practice into their leadership work are more likely to become transformative and culturally responsive leaders, resulting in creating a more equitable and inclusive school environment. However, these leaders go beyond reflection – they take action. They serve as culturally responsive instructional leaders, champion bilingualism and recognise the strengths of their immigrant communities.
Instructional leadership for culturally responsive practices
A key aspect of their work is promoting a culturally responsive curriculum and teaching. For instance, Renee encouraged her social studies and English departments to integrate diverse perspectives into their lesson plans, fostering critical dialogue about differences and shared values. This helped students develop tolerance and respect for diverse perspectives. Another principal, Nathan, challenged his maths teachers to incorporate students’ practical knowledge, such as agricultural skills, into problem-solving activities. This approach validated students’ diverse lived experiences, making learning more relevant.
Several principals also prioritised diversifying their schools’ curricular materials. The principals invested in multicultural texts to better reflect their students’ identities, such as introducing culturally relatable genres into the classroom. For example, Principal Christopher reminded the English department to consider incorporating other texts if Romeo and Juliet would not make sense to their newcomer or Level 1 English proficiency students. He urged his team to select literature relatable to students’ backgrounds.
These initiatives demonstrate how leaders can leverage the unique strengths of immigrant students to enrich instruction and foster academic success. The school leaders’ actions indicated an overarching theme that connecting students’ lived experiences to the school curriculum increases student engagement in the teaching and learning process. Their actions are also indications that they believe that diverse students have the ‘funds of knowledge‘ to enrich teaching and learning for all students. ‘Funds of knowledge’ is the premise that immigrant students are competent and have the knowledge to contribute due to their life experiences (Gonzales et al., 2005).
In Part 2 of this article, I will share more practical solutions from the principals I interviewed on how they have created access to a culturally responsive curriculum and teaching.
Valuing bilingualism as an asset
The principals also consistently emphasised bilingualism as a valuable asset. For instance, Principal Carrie, whose school population was 68% Latino, encouraged students to use their first languages during group activities, believing that honoring bilingualism enhances collaborative learning.
Also, Principal Norman shared a particularly poignant story about a female valedictorian (the student with the highest marks in the class who gives a graduation ceremony speech) who insisted on delivering her speech in both English and Spanish. After his staff rejected the student’s request to deliver her speech in Spanish – the teacher’s first language, too – Norman recognised the significance of this decision and supported the student’s choice, understanding how it allowed her parents to fully participate in the celebration. He reflected:
I was not mad at all. I would maybe have done the same thing. You mean to tell me I am a valedictorian, I worked my butt off, and my parents cannot even hear me or understand my speech. How could you deny that?
– Principal Norman
This act of respect and inclusion by the principal sent a powerful message about the value of bilingualism in the school community.
Another principal, Renee, found practical ways to leverage bilingual students. She encouraged her teachers to encourage bilingual students to support their peers during small group activities depending on the situation. Renee explained:
Students who speak another language might benefit from a peer from the same background to create clarity around content. It allows the students to learn more about your content and be respectful of the challenge of learning a second language.
– Principal Renee
By valuing bilingualism, these leaders positioned students’ linguistic abilities as assets, not deficits. As a result, they are promoting what Bartlett and Garcia (2011) called additive schooling. Additive schooling is:
an approach that builds on and extends the social, cultural and linguistic assets brought by multilingual, diverse populations, and aims to prepare bicultural and bilingual students to negotiate their complex world.
– Bartlett and Garcia (2011:22)
Another sign that school leaders promote additive schooling is the intentional inclusion of immigrant students’ voices. By encouraging students to share their ideas and opinions, leaders actively engage them in the school community.
Amplifying immigrant students’ voices
The principals I interviewed actively sought students’ input on a range of topics, from instructional practices to school activities. For example, when the in-person honours assembly was not possible during the pandemic, Principal Renee solicited her students’ opinions on how they wanted to be celebrated and acknowledged in the context of virtual learning. She said:
I ask them as often as I can when we are preparing to do anything for them or with them. I ask them what their interests are, their preferences, what they like or what would make them feel most comfortable.
– Principal Renee
Likewise, Principal Brent shared confidently that, in his building, all students are heard concerning anything they have to say, whether it is related to equity, diversity, academic problems or otherwise. He makes sure there is somebody in the building who will listen to every student. He advised other principals to:
find ways to set up structures for adults to hear what the kids are saying and for kids to hear what each other’s saying. And then, working from there to create action plans and different dynamics that are going to make folks feel comfortable and have pride in the school that they attend.
– Principal Brent
He added that setting up structures, such as focus groups and regular advisory classes, provides opportunities for kids to talk, and having staff members available to enable students to share their stories is equally important.
Content area teams also benefited from incorporating students’ perspectives. Several principals I interviewed encouraged their teachers to draw on immigrant students’ experiences to enrich classroom discussions. By doing so, they created spaces where diverse viewpoints were not only welcomed but also integral to the learning process. Mansfield (2014) emphasised that school leaders who prioritise students’ ideas, opinions and feedback are truly advocates for social justice and promote change in communities.
While amplifying immigrant students’ voices is essential to creating an inclusive school community, it is equally important for school leaders to extend this recognition to the families of immigrant students. By valuing the contributions of immigrant families, leaders deepen the connection between the school and the broader community, fostering a collaborative environment that supports both students and their families.
Recognising immigrant families’ contributions
Several principals highlighted how these families enriched the school community with their cultural heritage and global experiences. Events like International Night, Hispanic Heritage Celebrations and Cultural Night provided opportunities to showcase this diversity, fostering greater understanding and appreciation among students, staff and parents.
For instance, Principal Matthew shared that during International Night and International Day, he allowed immigrant families and their students to bring other dishes from different countries. He said this event could provide the school community with a global experience where participants ‘can have a taste of different cuisine from different countries’.
Principals Mary and Christopher also recognised the abilities of their immigrant parents by empowering them to take on leadership roles. Mary described her Palestinian PTA president as ‘the most outstanding president I have ever had’, noting the remarkable accomplishments achieved under her leadership. Furthermore, Christopher’s efforts to train and support immigrant parents not only built their confidence but also strengthened the school’s sense of community. These activities align with Siegel et al. (2019), who found that meaningful events boost parental engagement. The authors found that when parents feel welcomed in the school community, they are willing to partner with schools to achieve positive outcomes for the students, classrooms and school.
However, one principal noted some staff resisted engaging diverse families. Principal Carrie identified a persistent challenge in her school: some teachers were reluctant to engage with immigrant families. She explained during the interview.
The biggest challenge I see right now is, as much as we have had 3,000 phone calls made, we still have some teachers who have an issue with calling parents from immigrant communities. We are still working with some teachers, which I think is the main challenge.
– Principal Carrie
This resistance highlights the need for continuous professional development to help educators embrace asset-based perspectives. In addition to the internal challenges school leaders face in educating immigrant students, external factors also contribute to these difficulties. However, culturally responsive leaders view these challenges as opportunities to enhance their leadership.
Challenges and opportunities
While the principals’ stories revealed the potential of transformative and asset-based leadership, they also highlighted the challenges inherent in this work. Resistance from staff and systemic barriers rooted in deficit thinking often complicate efforts to create inclusive environments. For example, some educators were hesitant to embrace bilingualism or involve immigrant parents in leadership roles. To address these challenges, principals had courageous conversations and provided professional development and support.
Broader societal issues, such as anti-immigration sentiment and historical racism, further exacerbate these challenges. Yet, the principals I interviewed demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of opposition. They courageously confronted biases, dismantled inequitable structures and advocated for their students and families.
Finally, one important consideration for asset-based, culturally responsive school leaders is to avoid commodifying immigrant students and families. While leveraging their unique contributions can enrich the school community, it is essential to do so in a way that genuinely values their humanity. This means recognising their strengths as valid and meaningful, rather than merely as tools to achieve institutional goals. By adopting this approach, education leaders can create environments where all members of the school community feel respected and valued.
Conclusion
My research highlights the transformative power of culturally responsive leadership in schools with growing immigrant populations. The principals I interviewed demonstrate that when school leaders embrace asset-based approaches, they foster inclusive environments where immigrant students and families feel valued and empowered. Their practices – critical reflection, instructional leadership, valuing bilingualism, amplifying student voices and engaging families – offer concrete strategies for making schools more equitable and culturally responsive. Despite challenges, this work is necessary and rewarding, as these principals show.
In the next part of this article, I will explore how culturally responsive leaders transform school environments, structures, processes and other practices to create inclusive school communities. I will also discuss the challenges and solutions for engaging families in culturally responsive ways. Stay tuned!
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