Developing Liderazgo

Leaders as Learners and Advocates for Bilingual Education

Abstract

School leaders are key to the success of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs, yet there is limited research on how these leaders develop. In this case study, we examine how a Latina DLBE leader developed liderazgo as she supported her bilingual teachers’ learning. With a critical sociocultural lens conceptualizing development within a collective zone of proximal development (ZPD), we analyzed teacher meetings, co-planning, debriefs, and pláticas. Findings reveal how liderazgo development is a transformational process propelled by three interrelated praxes: commitment to collaborative learning, recognition of systemic inequities, and growing advocacy. Our study contributes to the conceptualization of liderazgo development and offers implications for high-quality and equitable DLBE.