African American Perspectives on Leadership in Schools

Lenoar Foster was professor and associate dean for administration, research and graduate studies in the College of Education at Washington State University. He held dual professorial appointments in educational leadership (K-12 Administration) and higher education. He passed away just prior to this book's publication.Linda C. Tillman is a professor in the Educational Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Vice President of Division A of the American Educational Research Association. Her research interests include African American principals, parental involvement, and culturally sensitive research approaches.

• 3 Introduction4 The Historical Tradition of African American Leadership in African American Schools: 1830-19555 African American Educational Leadership: Critical, Purposive, and Spiritual6 African-Centered Pedagogy and Womanist Caring: Reclaiming Black Children for Success7 Facilitating African American Parental Involvement in Urban Schools: Opportunities for School Leadership8 African American Superintendents Narrowing the Achievement Gap Through Organization Restructuring9 African American Leadership in Urban Schools: Implications for Organizational Structure and Improved Educational Outcomes10 Caring Leadership for Troubled African American Adolescents: A Case Study11 Leadership in K-12 Schools for Promoting Educational Aspirations: A Mental Model for School Achievement12 Leading Change in the Educational Environment: Creating a Culture of Academic Excellence13 African American School Leadership in a Policy Context: A Tornado of Private Influence and Interests14 Toward a Praxis of Antiracist School Leadership Preparation15 About the Editors16 About the Contributors17 Index

This text fills an important void in the literature on how African Americans view effective public school leadership for schools with Black children. The authors provide important insights about concepts on what are the effective leadership behaviors for schools educating African American Children. These leadership behavioral skill sets should help close the academic achievement gap between White and African American children.