A Hispanic Framework for Transformational Leadership in K-12 Education: Puerto Rican Leaders Model Crisis Leadership

Abstract

The United States, in alignment with the United Nations, has unequivocally declared that education is a human right. However, serious and pervasive achievement gaps grounded in race and socio-economic attainment exist for marginalized students, framing this gap as a human rights issue. Unfortunately, the achievement gaps are growing for Hispanic and Black students as well as English language learners. While closing the representation gap between students, teachers, and principals will address the issue of the achievement gap, this shift will predictably take decades to achieve. The researcher argues that this points to the need for a change in principal leadership as a short-term solution to closing the achievement gap. Hispanic English language learners are the fastest growing demographic of students; therefore, this shift in leadership should encompass the unique needs of Hispanic students. In the aftermath of two devastating hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership lessons from principals in Puerto Rico offer valuable lessons for educators on the mainland. This article provides a new model for transformational crisis leadership that can close the achievement gap through an equity lens.