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Black women and men often work in academic spaces that were not made for them, where they are often viewed as outsiders and in many cases where they find little support for their efforts. But being a Black female professor in a predominantly white institution can sometimes be especially challenging. The purpose of this essay is to provide a brief recounting of some of the author's experiences as a Black female graduate student and professor, and discuss the imperative for: (a) developing a strategic plan that will lead to a successful career in the academy; and (b) building and sustaining mentoring relationships. The article concludes with some thoughts about getting over and keeping our eyes on the prize. (Contains 3 notes.)

The usefulness of positivist traditions in education research has been debated for some time, and there continue to be various epistemological and methodological camps regarding the question of what constitutes "good" or "real" research. The importance of educating all children necessitates that we think about what are the most effective and most appropriate methods for investigating specific problems, including methods that are outside positivist traditions. The author of this response to Howe (2009) addresses Howe's critique of the education science question, points out what is missing in Howe's critique, and considers the implications for conducting research that is critical to the education of all children, particularly those who traditionally have been underrepresented and underserved in the U.S. public education system.

For over 40 years the scholarship of Dr. Asa G. Hilliard has impacted the fields of educational psychology, testing and measurement, teacher education, and African and African American history. Dr. Hilliard was also concerned about school leadership, and much of his work is closely aligned with current discussions about school reform and accountability as they relate to effective school leadership. The purpose of this article is to present a review of a selected body of Dr. Hilliard's scholarship, and to situate this work in the context of African American principal leadership and the education of African American students. (Contains 5 notes.)

The media play a major role in the construction of popular cultural "texts," such as films and television programs. These media forms are conceptualized as "public pedagogies"--i.e., as texts that have great potential to teach the public about a wide range of educational issues. This article focuses attention on the representation of teachers and principals in the popular television series Boston Public. Specifically, the authors provide two complimentary accounts of how the representations of teachers and principals can be engaged through critical analyses or "readings." One account develops a deconstructive reading of how Boston Public treats teacher preparation, teacher competence, and principal leadership. The second account examines how preservice teachers were engaged in multiple readings of the program. The article concludes by suggesting that analyzing popular representations of teachers and educational leaders in film and television can become one important strategy, among others, for developing critically reflective educational leaders and teachers.

The author discusses several culturally sensitive qualitative research approaches, revisits the Culturally Sensitive Research Framework, a theoretical framework for conducting culturally sensitive research in African-American communities and provides examples of research that has employed culturally sensitive approaches. The discussion then shifts to reflections on her use of the Culturally Sensitive Research Framework in three research studies: a case study of a first-year African-American teacher, the role of African-American principals in facilitating the professional and personal competence of novice teachers, and research on African-American parental engagement. The author concludes the article with reflections on situating herself as an indigenous-insider (and sometimes outsider) in the research process. (Contains 11 notes.)

This article focuses on leadership practices and teacher mentoring in an urban school context. A central perspective of this discussion is the role of the urban school principal in implementing and facilitating mentoring arrangements that will lead to competence, retention, and improved student achievement. Results from a case study of a mentoring triad in a large, urban high school are presented. The participants were a 1st-year African American teacher, her mentor, and the principal. The article begins with a discussion of teacher mentoring. The discussion then shifts to the mentoring experiences of the 1st-year African American teacher. Next, three themes are discussed: (a) mentoring as a means for enhancing professional and personal competence; (b) mentoring as a means of transmitting the culture of the educational environment; and (c) mentoring as a catalyst for transformative leadership. The article concludes with a discussion and some implications for transformative leadership practices that can facilitate effective mentoring arrangements for new teachers in the urban school context.

The "Brown v. Board of Education" decision defined public education for African Americans in the United States. In this article I discuss the tradition of African American parental involvement in the pre-"Brown" era, challenges to parental involvement in a post-"Brown" era, and a parental involvement initiative in an urban elementary school. I conclude with a discussion of the continued imperative for African American parental involvement and some implications for leadership.

The displacement of Black educators after the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision was an extraordinary social injustice. The wholesale firing of Black educators threatened the economic, social, and cultural structure of the Black community, and ultimately the social, emotional, and academic success of Black children. The author presents a historical perspective of the work of Black educators in the pre-"Brown" era; discusses the impact of "Brown" on the professional careers of Black teachers, principals, and superintendents; describes some of methods used to fire Black educators; and concludes with a discussion of the impact of these losses on the Black community and an agenda for Black education.

This article reviews research findings that indicate the schooling of minority students is being jeopardized by heightened anxiety over school safety and the advent of "zero tolerance" regulations. A means for a more constructive focus is discussed that calls for ethical considerations, cross-cultural literacy, and behavior management and development. (Contains references.) (CR)

Throughout this issue, the authors have sought to bring to the forefront curriculum content and pedagogical approaches that advance effective teaching of social justice in educational administration programs. They have gathered, from professors in educational leadership programs across the country, curriculum designs, formats, and activities that address teaching social justice leadership. They have compiled effective instructional strategies that increase student awareness and undergird their activism for social justice as future educational leaders. In addressing what is fair and just, the authors contend that one must reach beyond the legal and pragmatic and travel down the path of what is ethical and moral. A journey of this nature emphasizes a willingness to be disturbed at the very foundation of one's beliefs from which one's worldviews are cast. It is in the ethical arena that ideals of societal fairness are whet and new assumptions of the way things "ought to be" arise. The authors assert that educational leadership programs must establish learning environments that assist aspiring school leaders in agitating and disturbing their values and beliefs in an effort to unshackle themselves from traditions of entitlement and privilege. Through examination of historical events, self-reflection, critical discourse, and dialogue, aspiring educational leaders can develop a critical consciousness poised to engage schools in the pressing change to meet the academic and affective needs of each child.

The usefulness of positivist traditions in education research has been debated for some time, and there continue to be various epistemological and methodological camps regarding the question of what constitutes "good" or "real" research. The importance of educating all children necessitates that we think about what are the most effective and most appropriate methods for investigating specific problems, including methods that are outside positivist traditions. The author of this response to Howe (2009) addresses Howe's critique of the education science question, points out what is missing in Howe's critique, and considers the implications for conducting research that is critical to the education of all children, particularly those who traditionally have been underrepresented and under-served in the U.S. public education system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]