K.

Mathew

EDUC 700
Case Study #1

Introduction

Leading in rural schools is a complex task because the challenges facing small
communities are unique. Furthermore, leaders are often expected to lead with fewer resources
and less support compared to leaders in more urban and sub-urban environments. A framework
for understanding the contextual influences on rural schools includes unique political, economic,
sociocultural and demographic forces (Klar & Huggins, 2020). One-size-fits-all educational
policy designed for typically larger, suburban or urban schools’ needs can complicate rural
schools’ ability to craft adequate responses to smaller, more isolated community’s needs (Mette
et al., 2016). Given the particularities of each rural school environment, it is important for rural
leaders to be familiar with the nuances of their unique school context and to establish an
ecosystem of resources and support within the school community and beyond in order to lead
effectively in the rural school environment.
The rural community in this case study, Burnmont, is a small town of 8,500 people.
Although not technically a rural community, defined by the US Census Bureau as a community
comprised of 2,500 residents or less (Klar & Huggins, 2020), Burnmont is characterized by
many challenges characteristic of rural communities in the United States. In recent decades,
Burnmont has undergone significant political, economic, demographic, and sociocultural
changes as a result of global and urban-centric influences. Economically, many of Burnmont’s
residents have struggled as manufacturing companies have automated or relocated towards more
urban centers. Unfortunately, the plight of low-income residents in rural communities is often
overlooked and invisible as there are fewer familiar signs of poverty compared to urban centers,
like housing projects and food services (Klar & Huggins, 2020). In parallel to the community’s
economic decline, the drug epidemic has taken hold in Burnmont further exacerbating the
economic challenges of the community whilst burdening social services like policing and
healthcare. Socio-culturally, the community includes the Dawn Waters Indian Reservation, a
group which continues to face the consequences of the residential school system and subsequent
inter-generational trauma associated with the atrocities of residential schooling.

The crux of the situation

Principal John returns to Burnmont to be the new high school Principal. He is full of
enthusiasm; the prodigal son returning to elevate his rural community. Principal John rose
quickly as a school leader in his previous suburban school district and arrives in Burnmont
overconfident in his leadership abilities. In particular, having previously led in communities
characterized by ethnic and economic diversity, Principal John considers himself “woke” and he
assumes he will be able to awaken his staff to this righteous perspective in Burnmont. Principal
John’s attitude smells of paternalism, of which Freire argues:
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Rationalizing his guilt through paternalistic treatment of the oppressed, all

the while holding them fast in the position of dependence, will not do.
Solidarity requires that one enter into the situation of those with whom one
is solidary; it is a radical posture. If what characterizes the oppressed is
their subordination to the consciousness of the master (...) true solidarity
with the oppressed means fighting at their side to transform the objective
reality which has made them these “beings for another”.” (Freire, 1970, p.
23)

To be fair, it is clear that John is a thoughtful and reflective leader, however, he needs to be more
sensitive to his new context. He may think he understands the needs of Burnmont, having grown
up there, but the community has changed since he left and he may not understand the full array
of experiences within the community in recent years.
The crux of the situation in which John enters is at the intersection between economic
disadvantage and the historical trauma and ongoing cultural oppression of Native Americans.
This tension is being played out by two factions within the school: the “old school” Burnmont
teachers and the former Dawn Waters teachers. The reservation school at Dawn Waters was
consolidated into the Burnmont School District five years prior to Principal John’s arrival.
School consolidation often elicits emotional responses in rural communities where wealthier
districts can become resentful of the distribution of resources to the newly consolidated students
they must serve (Mettle et al., 2016). It is clear that school consolidation has created some
serious underlying tension, which is evidenced by the two factions of teachers at Principal John’s
first faculty meeting. Principal John inadvertently stokes the conflict when he talks about how
the school can meet the needs of students living in poverty. Although John finds himself in the
middle of a complicated dispute, with many uncomfortable nuances, uncovering this issue,
which has been building over the past five years, may set the school on a path to real
improvement.

Process and Rationale

According to Freire, the correct method for approaching this conflict lies in listening,
dialogue, and finally, action (1970). The first step that Principal John should take is to develop a
deeper understanding of the Burnmont community context. In order for him to be able to
effectively facilitate dialogue, he needs to have a deeper understanding of the systems that are
operating within the community and the school. Rather than impose his own preconceived ideas
about social justice, Principal John should have approached his first faculty meeting in a very
neutral way. Rather than make insinuations about how he thinks things should be, he should have
conveyed his deep interest in learning what each of the staff members (including teachers and
support staff) sees as the core issues facing the school. To achieve a full understanding, he
should have invited all of his staff members to one-on-one meetings with him during the first few
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weeks of school. During these meetings, he could have gotten to know his staff and begun to
develop a well-rounded understanding of the historical context influencing the community and
the school. Principal John should have also considered visiting Elders at the Dawn Waters
reservation to begin a dialogue with them regarding their observations of their youth after
consolidation. After listening, Principal John could then consider how to orchestrate dialogue
amongst staff, students and community members starting in the late fall.
After listening, the next step in the process for Principal John will be to initiate dialogue
first with staff, then students, and finally, the larger community. He will have to think very
carefully about how to set up “brave spaces”, where individuals may listen empathically and
respectfully to one another’s perceptions of the world (Mettle et al., 2018). During a fall faculty
meeting, he should introduce a professional development initiative that will be the major focus of
this year’s professional learning. He might introduce the initiative in a non-threatening way such
as “Student barriers to learning”. Informed by his one-on-one conversations, he should create
purposeful small groups which bring together a variety of perspectives. During each faculty
meeting, Principal John should dedicate time for dialogue within these groups. Each group
session will be guided by a conversation framework, organized by Principal John, and include an
icebreaker followed by questions for discussion. In parallel, Principal John might assign readings
to the faculty on topics related to “poverty”, “residential schools” and “issues of race in rural
America”. Principal John might also consider inviting guest speakers such as: an Elder from the
Dawn Waters tribe, a residential school survivor, a mental health expert, and/or a panel of former
graduates, to present and join in the dialogue at faculty meetings.
The next step in the process will occur in the spring. Ideally, the staff will have had a
chance to listen to one another openly and there will be movement towards a shared
understanding of the real obstacles to student learning. At this point, Principal John might
consider using a technique for teachers to audit their own school through instructional rounds or
staff members being released to shadow a cross-section of students for the day. The rich data
generated from these studies about the student experience in the school should be shared with the
whole faculty and then an action plan should be formulated collaboratively. The action plan
should extend far and wide into every aspect of student life. For example, teachers may consider
ways in which they can include more culturally relevant pedagogy in their lessons. An
opportunity for students and parents to go through a similar diologic process should be included
in the plan for the following school year.

Discussion

The plan for Principal John includes three key phases: listening, dialogue and action. A
potential challenge to this plan is if Principal John’s superiors are not in support of this slow
approach as this plan requires a great deal of time for dialogue and reflection on the part of the
staff and himself. Some Instructional Leaders and Superintendents may not think that this time is
being spent wisely. They may argue that professional development time would be better spent
learning new instructional techniques or finessing the day to day logistics of the school. What
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these leaders might not understand, however, is that Burnmont is at a crucial juncture in its
history. Will the school continue on a path which ignores the innate talents and intelligence of its
Native American students? Or will Principal John be able to turn the tides towards a more just
and equitable future for, not only Dawn Waters students, but for all students?

References

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Penguin Random House.

Klar, H.W., & Huggins, K.S. (2020). Developing rural school leaders: Building capacity
through transformative leadership coaching. NY: Routledge.

Mette, I.M., Biddle, C., Mackenzie, S.V. & Harris-Smedberg, K. (2016). Poverty, privilege, and
political dynamics within rural school reform: Unraveling educational leadership in the
invisible America. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 19(3)

Patton Davis, L. & Museus, S. (2019). What Is Deficit Thinking? An Analysis of

Conceptualizations of Deficit Thinking and Implications for Scholarly Research.
Currents, 1(1), 117-130.

Valencia, R.R. (2010). Dismantling Contemporary Deficit Thinking: Educational Thought and
Practice. Taylor and Francis Group.