Leadership and Family-School-Community Partnerships in the Model Schools for Inner Cities Initiative

This study investigates leadership strategies that fostered family-school-community partnerships in the equity-focused school-based Model Schools for Inner Cities initiative in Toronto, Canada. Descriptive analysis of parent focus group and school administrator interview qualitative data explored leadership strategies to foster school-family-community partnerships at two schools located in ethno-culturally diverse, equity-deserving Toronto communities. Seven promising leadership practices and strategies were revealed, including: (1) creating a welcoming physical and social school environment, (2) fostering a culture of care, (3) communicating with families, (4) encouraging parent leadership and advocacy, (5) having leadership presence in the community, (6) establishing the school as a social and cultural broker, and (7) leveraging community partnerships and administrator's personal social capital to address systemic inequities. This research highlights the voices of Canadian families and school leaders, revealing that in marginalized communities, leadership efforts to foster family-school-community partnerships play a key role in enhancing equity and justice in education.