Culturally Responsive School Leadership

by Muhammad Khalifa, Lisa Delpit (Foreword), H. Richard Milner IV (Editor)

Culturally Responsive School Leadership focuses on how school leaders can effectively serve minoritized students—those who have been historically marginalized in school and society. The book demonstrates how leaders can engage students, parents, teachers, and communities in ways that positively impact learning by honoring indigenous heritages and local cultural practices.
 
Muhammad Khalifa explores three basic premises. First, that a full-fledged and nuanced understanding of “cultural responsiveness” is essential to successful school leadership. Second, that cultural responsiveness will not flourish and succeed in schools without sustained efforts by school leaders to define and promote it. Finally, that culturally responsive school leadership comprises a number of crucial leadership behaviors, which include critical self-reflection; the development of culturally responsive teachers; the promotion of inclusive, anti-oppressive school environments; and engagement with students’ indigenous community contexts.
 
Based on an ethnography of a school principal who exemplifies the practices and behaviors of culturally responsive school leadership, the book provides educators with pedagogy and strategies for immediate implementation.

Genres: Leadership, Education

232 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2018

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening! The changes we can make in our schools given culturally responsive leaders!

[Emma Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adding the books I read for school cover to cover bc I think that should count in my yearly total? Lol.

[Richard]

-Khalifa introduces the idea of principal as community leader instead of just the school leader (12).
-I do not agree with his insinuation that school bear the responsibility for undoing larger societal shortcomings.
-Is Khalifa suggesting that we not focus on "curriculum, testing, compliance, and accountability"? (13)
-"For example, students were targeted for their tone and manner of speech, clothing, modes of play and competition, cultural proclivities interpreted as aggressive, and many other offenses for which they were more likely to be suspended than their White peers." At what point are certain behaviors simply acceptable because they are "cultural", and when are they flat out unacceptable? (14)
-"Indigenous people were exotic subhumans or savages, and they had to be helped by being civilized." It always confused me how a group of people that has existed for centuries needed help or needed to be civilized (15).
-How can you "trace" contemporary beliefs to historical stances when the former is unaware of the existence of the latter? (18)

[Brandy Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having already read the book twice for earlier classes, this is easy for me. I enjoyed this book. I think Khalifa does a great job of educating and discussing what goes on in schools from a statistics and data perspective. My one critique is still and will always be…he says he spent time in an actual school, and I believe him but has he spent time in a classroom recently? And while his example worked out for Principal Joe…the example and sample size were of a small school that he didn’t say was a charter school, but that sounded a lot like a charter school. I would love to implement some of his ideas, but unfortunately, district, state, and building-level leadership make a lot of these ideas impossible to do.

[John Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Khalifa’s central point is that the advancement and development of school culture relies heavily on the school’s involvement with the community and self-awareness of potentially oppresive practices. He provides ample research, but writes with a passion and purpose that challenges any semblance of white fragilty a person may have. However, he relies heavily on his own research and complementary research with little attention to counterarguments. Overall, there is valuable information in the text for the advancement of school culture; one merely needs to use this text to complement other works i stead of relying solely upon it.

[Allison Bachner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this book was redundant and too specific. Only one school was used in the study; therefore, all suggestions were for this school specific. While I recognize some ideas could be duplicated in other similar schools. I just didn't feel this gave me a better understanding on how to be a culturally responsive school leader.

[Nyki Whealton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for educators to read. While it focuses on school leadership, there are a lot of takeaways for all educators on being culturally responsive. I bought this book for research purposes, and it truly served its purpose. I didn’t agree on everything in the book; however, it wasn’t much or even big things.

[Aamer Zuberi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A resources for school educators and teachers focussing on Culturally Responsive School Leadership. There are pertinent questions after each chapter for administrators, teachers and superintendents to value the work in boards and schools.

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few books I have read manage to be both 1) theoretically rich and generative and 2) immensely practical and useful in applied settings, like professional development.

This one squares that circle, and is a must-read for any current school leader.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas but a lot of repetition. Additionally, he practically outright states the ideas cannot be properly implemented unless you are a person of color. How is this beneficial to leaders who are not?

[Rene Riek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a class I took last spring for my doctoral program. It is one of the few textbooks I have read cover to cover, and it really bent my thinking about our systems in schools and how to promote equity and inclusivity.

[Gwen Rosha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for all school leaders—including superintendents, principals, teachers, and support staff.

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for educators! I know it's geared toward admin, and admin have the power, but wow! So many good points, good strategies, good perspective. So glad I read this one.

[Sia Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all educators

[sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

tbh, meh. a compelling argument but an incomplete blueprint for the kinds of schools our children deserve

[Kaleria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had some great ideas, but it felt quite repetitive. It might’ve been best as a chapter in another text or a long article.

[John Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khalifa's text presents an excellent case study of building and rebuilding trust with families and students in the face of school reform.

[Jessica Ormiston Wills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas for any educational leader and provides the opportunity to look at your own biases

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much to learn and so much work to do! Thank you;)

[Lmoore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not agree with all of this, but a great book to stimulate conversation and thought.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an eye opening read that I think future educational leaders should read and take note. I read for school but encourage others who weren’t required to give it a read.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for my MSEd Leadership degree. Overall, I appreciated the ideas presented.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d recommend all school leaders, current and aspiring, to read this book by Khalifa. Especially if you are committed to providing culturally responsive educational leadership. This book is friendly to read. This was a required reading for my educational leadership program. It did not feel like your typical textbook reading. This is what I liked most about the book. I learned a great deal from reading this book. The examples provided, the activities included, etc were all helpful.

[Christina]

Must read for all educators.