Making sense of it all:
values, relationships and a way forward
King, FionaORCID: 0000-0001-5749-1435 and Robinson, Kerry
(2017)
Making sense of it all:
values, relationships and a way forward.
Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 2
(1).
pp. 28-38.
ISSN 2564-7261
Policy developments across the world continue to reinforce and
intensify the importance of social justice underpinning philosophies
Research in Educational Administration & Leadership
and praxis in education. However, the enactment of these policies
varies both within and across countries. One aspect that has been
generally accepted as orthodoxy in whether schools perpetuate the
status quo or contribute to reducing inequalities is the significant role
of leadership in promoting social justice in schools.
This special issue set out to explore “Leadership Stories” and in
particular Unlocking the Path to Social Justice Leadership in various
countries around the world. All stories emanated from
participants involved in the social justice strand of the International
School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN), which defines
social justice leadership as “a principal who is committed to reducing
inequalities and makes this aim a high priority in leadership practice”
(Angelle, 2017, p. 308). This Special Issue aimed to unpack how
social justice leaders learned to become social justice leaders, the
foundational aspects that influenced these leaders to work for a
socially just educational experience for all children. Synthesis of the
various perspectives presented in the articles reveal two key themes
that have emerged across all papers in this Special Issue, albeit in
varying degrees; values and relationships. A central tenet emanating
from all papers is the concept of values and awareness or selfawareness
of one’s values.