The mentoring experiences of principals of color

The purpose of this study is to identify how mentoring plays a role in the mentoring experiences of principals of color in their leadership roles. In this study, I use the framework, Critical Race Theory, with an emphasis on Community Cultural Wealth, to understand mentoring needs in the field of education, as it pertains to minority principals and assistant principals. I also employ Qualitative Research methods to support my study to allow for a more in-depth process of collecting data through face-to-face interviews. This method also provides the ability to focus on the voices of the minority participants, by giving them the opportunity to share their stories and experiences with formal and/or informal mentoring. Through Qualitative Research, the idea of Counterstorytelling is embedded in the data collection process for this study. Another tool utilized in the study to gather data is, an online questionnaire, disseminated via email. This online questionnaire provides another opportunity to reach a large pool of school administrators statewide beyond the thirteen face-to-face interviews. As I conducted the face-to-face interviews with the minority participants, several themes or findings arose throughout the study. The participants shared their experiences as they relate to their formal and/or informal mentoring with regard to, the race and gender of their mentors, the minority participants’ leadership styles and self-care for the principals of color. A unique theme arose throughout the study included the relationship process with the minority principals and the role their white male mentors played in their mentoring experiences. Therefore, the theme centered on the positive aspect of white men as mentors was considered an outlier within the study. Based on the implications within the study, there were two areas recommended for further research. These two themes include how the roles of White Privilege and Servant Leadership are embedded in the mentoring of the minority principals. Although the research in mentoring includes diverse styles of leadership, Servant Leadership is one that has not been fully developed as it relates to mentoring. Therefore, a recommendation is made for further research on the role of Servant Leadership and its relationship to mentoring. In regard to White Privilege, traditional mentoring research supports the white narratives of the dominant group. However, the inclusion of White Privilege and its role in the mentoring experiences of the principals of color, brings to light, how these mentoring experiences lack the necessary stories and capital that people of color bring to mentoring. Therefore, further research is needed on how to include the six components of capital possessed by people of color, which counteracts the deficit-thinking within the mentoring process. In conclusion, this study supports the importance of mentoring as a means to enhance principal leadership and to prepare minority leaders in education. However, to develop an effective mentoring program, the incorporation of key components, such as, the selection of mentors and the assignment of mentor to mentee, need to be included in the mentoring process. Finally, incorporating the components of Critical Race Theory through the lens of Community Cultural Wealth in a mentoring program will bring a more diverse perspective from both the mentor and mentee during the mentoring experience