Critical Cultural Knowledge in Special Education: Reshaping the Responsiveness of School Leaders.

Abstract

Issues related to the cultural diversity of students, faculty, and communities increasingly dominate the current debate in education. Race, class, gender, and disability have all been important foci for researchers interested in school restructuring (see the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting Program, 1998). Much of the discussion has been framed by scholars promoting multicultural curricula and better teacher preparedness for working with children who differ in ethnicity and social class. Other scholars are attempting to enhance the competence of teachers for working with children who have special needs. Still others are drawing attention to the interconnectedness and effects of ableism, sexism, classism, and racism. Very little research, however, has been directly linked to the cultural preparedness of school administrators who are responsible for curricular, instructional, pupil service, financial, and community relations leadership. The need for culturally responsive leaders is even more dramatic when we look at the effect of issues of culture and difference on special education. Many teachers in special education often work.with school administrators who are responsible for providing instructional leadership and influencing overall school climate but have little knowledge of the specific learning theories and teaching strategies used with children who have special needs or of the multicultural issues that affect placement and services. We begin this article with a discussion of the political and ideological dimensions of culture, cultural difference, and labeling. We follow with the assertion that administrators' beliefs, as expressions of personal values, are connected to their instructional behaviors and their leadership roles in schools (Hart & Bredeson, 1996). Therefore, we make the argument that an administrator's personal commitment to becoming a multicultural person, concerned with disembedding deep-seated cultural biases and selfreflection, will contribute to schoolwide preparedness and responsiveness to cultural diversity and inclusion. · Next, we suggest that an important leadership role that is missing from the principal preparation literature is critical cultural mirroring, that is, speaking and acting across difference, to reflect to the staff possible biases, prejudice, and stereotyping that may exist while supporting school cohesion and a unifying climate. This role should serve as a foundation for working with teachers to help them recognize those times when multicultural issues are distinct from special educational needs as well as those times when issues of