The Critical Pragmatist as Scholar–Practitioner

The intention of this article is to fi rmly build a case for the fi t of a “new scholar-ship ” known as scholar–practitioner as a leadership perspective grounded by the philosophical and theoretical tenets of critical pragmatism. Using post-formal thought as an approach to establish the fi t of scholar–practitioner as a reform ini-tiative and leadership preparation practice, etymology, pattern, process, and con-textualization frame the discussion. Examination and deconstruction of modern and postmodern perspectives by way of post-formal thinking establishes space and readiness for the critical pragmatist as scholar–practitioner. Moreover, a pattern of interconnected relationships placing critical pragmatism in the center establishes the need for scholar–practitioner leadership. Accenting the strengths and uncovering the weaknesses of modernistic and postmodernistic approaches supports the scholar–practitioner’s integration of practical knowledge and schol-arly knowledge into leadership praxis. An emerging contender in the pursuit for effective educational reform is an approach that seeks to take the better of two competing approaches, keep-ing intact the structural components of modernity and the criticality approach of postmodernity. For critical pragmatists to address the fi t of dependence on practical knowledge in modernistic approaches and the reliance on theoretical knowledge of postmodernistic approaches, the focus of educational reform is directed at educational leader preparation. “These efforts recognize that to cre-ate educational organizations different from what we have requires new way