Social Justice and the Superintendency: A Study of Eight Los Angeles County Superintendents

• Main Author: Hill, Matthew
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons at Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School 2018
• Subjects: Education
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/520; https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1526&context=etd

Although there is a significant body of literature on superintendents and another on social justice, there is not a comprehensive body of research on superintendents who focus on social justice issues. It is important to study what actions superintendents with a social justice focus take to address inequities in their school districts. The primary research question for this study is: how do superintendents within Los Angeles County define social justice, and how have they implemented social justice tenets within their school districts? To answer this question, eight semistructured interviews were conducted with current superintendents within Los Angeles County. The results of the interviews were then analyzed and the patterns were compared to existing social justice frameworks. The findings identified an opportunity to continue to clarify the definition of social justice and to expand upon current frameworks utilized for principals. In addition, recommendations for superintendent preparation programs and advice for existing superintendents were identified.