| The purpose of this case study was to explore how a social-justice-oriented charter school leader served in a charter school with urban, Hispanic, low-income students to achieve the goals of academic excellence and educational equity while navigating the complex network of relationships and web of regulations within the organizational dynamic context of an ethnically-centered charter school. The school and leader of this study were determined after a thorough review of schools in a target East Coast state that met the predetermined criteria based on school location, student demographics, and high achievement. The selected school achieved AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) in the year previous to the study and provided excellent academic and nonacademic opportunities for all of its students. Graduation rates at the school exceeded the graduation rates of nearby traditional public high schools.;Drawn from a nine month period of study of a charter school's leader, the impact of governmental entities, the local community, and the school's unique structure were described and analyzed. The school's unique relationship with community development efforts strengthened the school's ability to reach social justice goals and objectives. The study also found that the CEO was provided opportunities for social justice leadership by the charter school environment that facilitated planning and critical thinking, innovation, decreased bureaucracy, community involvement, and accountability. At the same time, the school CEO also was constrained by the management of multiple stakeholders, navigation within the local school district, and the processing of demands and expectations of innovation. By navigating the complex web of demands and relationships, the CEO was able to contribute significantly to the academic excellence of urban, Hispanic, and low-income students and the cause of educational equity for this population. Further study could explore the impact of different student demographics, longevity of leadership tenure, and the leader's gender as related to excellence and equity. |
