Black Male Superintendents in New York State: Voices From the Field
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study gives voice to the experiences of Black males who serve as public school superintendents in the state of New York. New York City was excluded from this study due to its unique structure as a school district. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore the participants lived experiences in route to the superintendency and while serving as superintendents. Specific attention was given to participants’ perceptions of how, if at all, race impacted the way they made sense of their experiences and shaped their leadership styles. This research sought to reveal and comprehend how these superintendents perceived the behaviors of those they encountered during their tenure as educational administrators, especially as superintendents. Employing Critical Race Theory as a conceptual framework, the researcher utilized multiple interviews to access the lived experiences of Black males who serve as public school superintendents in New York State. Data collection and analysis revealed participants’ perceptions on whether race impacted their sensemaking of experiences and shaped their leadership style. It also revealed perceptions of barriers to the superintendency and whether they perceived race as a barrier to their practice as superintendent. Participants shared how they overcame obstacles, offered advice to Black males aspiring to become school superintendents, and made suggestions for increasing the number of Black males in the superintendent pipeline.
Subject Area
Black studies|Educational leadership|School administration
Recommended Citation
Cuthbert, Kenneth Calvin, "Black Male Superintendents in New York State: Voices From the Field" (2017). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI10281520.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI10281520
