The Hispanic superintendent

Almost twenty-one percent of public school students are Hispanic yet only 1.1% of district superintendents are Hispanic. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the experiences of all the Hispanic superintendents in New Jersey with the aim of examining how their ethnicity and race has mediated their educational and leadership experiences. Using the voices of Hispanic superintendents, this study sought to identify strategies that might lead to the recruitment and retention of Hispanic superintendents. The research questions guiding this study were: What are the experiences of Hispanic superintendents in New Jersey? How does their ethnicity shape their beliefs and practices of leadership? What do the experiences of Hispanic superintendents in New Jersey suggest for the recruitment, retention, and education of Hispanic educational leaders? A qualitative research design was employed to explore the experiences of every Hispanic superintendent in New Jersey. Two face-to-face interviews were conducted with each of the nine Hispanic superintendents in NJ. The data collected was coded deductively using Critical Race and Latino Critical theories, as well as inductively. Larger themes were constructed by looking at relations between and across coded data and in relation to the research questions. Triangulation, peer review, and member checking were used to validate the findings. The Hispanic superintendents encountered institutional racism and negative perceptions about their abilities from the time they began their schooling through their experiences as district leaders. To negotiate the inherently biased system the superintendents sought to address the inequities by becoming more resilient, building a support system of mentors and family, and working harder to prove oneself. Their racist experiences were the catalyst for their leading for social justice. This study adds to the limited research base on Hispanic leadership in public schools. To improve the retention and recruitment of Hispanic superintendents the findings of this study suggest the implementation of formalized mentoring programs, addressing diversity and equity issues in preparation programs and building a network of support through key stakeholder groups including school boards.Ed. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Anibal A. Galian