The Persistence of and Challenges to Whiteness in Parent Engagement

Purpose: School leaders who articulate a desire to center equity in their schools often neglect to examine how racism persists in their parent and family engagement strategies. This oversight can reify structures that are oppressive and exclusionary to the marginalized families school leaders claim they want to engage. Research Methods/Approach: In this study, we use case study methods to examine the way one social justice–oriented school attempted to challenge and disrupt the persistence of Whiteness and White supremacy in a unique family group. We interview one school leader and parents and conduct extensive observations of group meetings. Findings: We found that Whiteness and White supremacy can be persistent despite leaders’ desires to eradicate these entrenched phenomena. Implications: Our findings show that knowing Whiteness and White supremacy are present is not enough. Rather, school leaders need to actively interrupt these dominant structures to see meaningful change.