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Advancing Equity-Based School Leadership: The Importance of Family–School Relationships

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Abstract

This narrative inquiry study presents the stories of five urban public school principals who continually enact and engage in praxis around school/family engagement as their social justice and equitable practices. The findings focus on how participants conceived and engaged in parent interaction: (1) the power of relationships, (2) resistance toward deficit thinking of parents and/or families, and (3) connecting their work with families to equity. An equity-based parent engagement model was developed on how the school leaders employ the power of relationships to engage parents, what participant interpreted their trusting relationship with parents reciprocated to them, and why they prioritize positive relationships with racially and ethnically diverse and economically disadvantage families. Overall, the findings extend emerging empirical research on the role of school leadership in effective parent engagement practice from an equity standpoint.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Malden, MA, USA

    Osly J. Flores

  2. Indiana University School of Social of Social Work, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Eric Kyere

  3. 76 Arlington St, Hyde Park, MA, 02136, USA

    Osly J. Flores

Authors
  1. Osly J. Flores
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  2. Eric Kyere
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Correspondence to Osly J. Flores.

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Flores, O.J., Kyere, E. Advancing Equity-Based School Leadership: The Importance of Family–School Relationships. Urban Rev 53, 127–144 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00557-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00557-z

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