The glass ceiling for Latinos in K-12 educational leadership
Date
2016
Authors
Martinez, Jerry M., author
Frederiksen, Heidi, advisor
Cooner, Donna, committee member
Coke, Pamela, committee member
Gloeckner, Gene, committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of male Latino educational leaders in K-12 public education and examine how culture/ethnicity affects ascension into educational leadership. This study contributes to the body of research concerning the glass ceiling for male Latinos in educational leadership. The research highlights the disproportionately low number of Latinos in educational leadership positions in K-12 schools in the United States compared to that of Latino students, the fastest growing minority population in the U.S. Included in this study is literature supporting initiatives to diversify school leadership by means of decreasing cultural mismatch. The literature also contains the historical progression of educational leadership research in the last 25 years, the phenomenon of the glass ceiling and how culture has impacted Latino educational leaders of the past. In further exploring why there are so few Latinos in educational leadership in K-12 schools, this study seeks to understand the lived experiences of male Latino educational leaders with increased focus on how culture/ethnicity affects ascension into educational leadership. Through a phenomenological inquiry focusing on constructs within Critical Race Theory, this study examines the shared experiences of meaning in male Latino educational leaders. Together, the findings suggest that culture can both hinder as well as facilitate ascension into educational leadership depending on the specific circumstances. Focus in future studies should pertain to the several themes within the findings of this study; such findings could be the solution to increasing the number of Latino educational leaders in K-12 education.