First Advisor

Gayle Y. Thieman

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

Language

English

Abstract

Despite federal and state equity laws that prohibit discrimination based on sex and national origin, women remain significantly underrepresented in K–12 educational leadership, with Latina leaders experiencing even greater disparities. While the number of Hispanic students in public schools continues to grow, the representation of Latina leaders has not kept pace, creating a critical gap between those leading schools and the communities they serve.

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to provide insight into the lived experiences of Latina educational leaders in order to deepen understanding of how identity, role, and leadership intersect (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016). Centering the personal and professional journeys of three Latina leaders, the study examines how they navigate intersecting identities related to race, gender, class, and profession, and how key experiences shape their leadership pathways and meaning-making. This study is grounded in a transformative paradigm and guided by intersectionality theory, Chicana Feminist Epistemology and mestiza consciousness, Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), and marianismo. The study challenges dominant ideologies, addresses marginalization, and centers the lived experiences of Latina leaders in educational leadership.

This research is grounded in pláticas, a culturally rooted and relational methodology that honors experiential knowledge, cultural identity, and resistance. The pláticas were guided by a semi-structured interview protocol to ensure consistent attention to the research questions across sessions. Data were analyzed to identify patterns across participants’ narratives, with attention to identity negotiation, leadership pathways, supports and barriers, and meaning-making.

The findings bring to light the resilience, wisdom, and cultural assets that Latina leaders bring to educational spaces, highlighting the ways they lead with authenticity and strength within systems not built for them. Six key findings show that Latina leaders carried identity as both a resource and a liability; experienced the somatic toll of institutional racism; relied on mentorship as survival infrastructure; found that solidarity had to be actively constructed and remained vulnerable to fracture; encountered Oregon’s progressive image as masking a racialized professional landscape; and developed distinctive meaning-making frameworks grounded in lived experience. This work amplifies Latina leaders’ voices and challenges leadership narratives that have historically overlooked their knowledge, labor, and lived experience. It calls for leadership systems that are more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to lived experience, with implications for preparation programs, schools, districts, and state policy.

Rights

Copyright 2026 Vanessa Davalos 

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Comments

A Dissertation in Practice submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership: Curriculum and Instruction.

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