Master’s Thesis, 2018

Leadership Diversity in Arts Education within the United States Public School System

My research, based on the findings in three major American cities (Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago), Public Schools do not always reflect the diverse cultural reality of their societies. Educational leadership in the Arts is the essential component in establishing the arts culture of the institution. Ensuring academic leaders reflect on the issues of diversity and multiculturalism is an essential component of creating sustainable changes in our Arts programs.

There are many factors that inhibit diversity and inclusion in the Arts. These include discrimination, unintentional cultural bias, and long standing structural inequities. These factors can result in the marginalization of students and can greatly effect the culture of an institution. Marginalization can be based on many differences, which may pertain to ethnic background, gender identity, socioeconomic status, religion, citizenship, language proficiency, sexual orientation, and physical capability.

Arts education leaders that fail meet the needs of their diverse student population can create counterproductive conditions. In my research, I propose steps (beginning in the hiring process) that have the potential to change the way we diversify the Arts leadership in our Public School System.