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Abstract
The United States is experiencing a tremendous shift in the composition of its population. For the first time in history, the overall number of Asian, Latino, and African American students in K-12 public education classrooms is projected to surpass the population of Non-Hispanic whites. The number of Latinos in educational leadership positions in the United States is minuscule and does not mirror the Latino student population in the nation. While ample literature exists on school leadership, little research has explored barriers that have hindered Latino principals’ professional experiences in attaining a principal selection. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Latino principals in California describe perceived barriers and overcoming those barriers in attaining a principal selection in K-12 public education. Critical race theory was the theoretical framework used to develop the research questions and guide this study. A purposeful sampling method was used to recruit participants for the study. Data for this study were collected from 10 individual interviews and one 3-member focus group. Braun and Clarke's (2006) six steps of thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. The four themes generated from the data were: barriers for career progression, career devotion and motivation, cultural strengths, and support systems. The findings of the study revealed critical race theory is aligned in helping to examine how Latino principals in California describe perceived barriers and overcoming those barriers in attaining a principal selection in K-12 public education.
