Making Sense of Social Justice Leadership: A Case Study of a Principal’s Experiences to Create a More Inclusive School

Abstract

Social justice leadership in high-poverty urban schools is complex. Principals experience a range of feelings and emotions while practicing social justice leadership with implications on their leadership. This article presents a qualitative case study of an elementary school principal in an urban setting and how she led to create a more inclusive school. Sensemaking theory was applied to examine the principal’s experiences leading for social justice and how successes, challenges, and failures influenced her leadership. Findings have implications for theory, future research, and principal selection, preparation, and training.