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As global migration continues to expand, more and more schools serve immigrant-origin students from diverse ethnic, cultural, racial, linguistic and legal backgrounds. In the United States, a complex array of restrictive and anti-immigrant policies at the federal level have exacerbated challenges to immigrant communities living with uncertainty and risk of disruption. While schools have long been key institutions for immigrant communities, many educational leaders have not been prepared to address the many facets of immigration that shape the lives of students and their families. Yet, educational institutions are often the first and sometimes only point of contact for newcomers providing opportunities for students’ acculturation, language development and academic achievement, while also serving as liaisons to the range of social services that support immigrant children and families. Influencing local education policies and practices, educational leaders play consequential roles in shaping the experiences of these students.
In this talk, Dr. Lowenhaupt will present an overview of immigrant education in the US and share insights from her research about system and school leadership at the intersection of education and immigration policy. The talk will examine the ways in which the US education system is shaped by immigration and responds to changing demographics and policies. Drawing on findings from a longitudinal study of six districts across the country, the talk will also explore how educational leaders attend to students’ sense of safety and belonging in school given the polarizing and contested nature of immigration policies in the U.S. Finally, Dr. Lowenhaupt will share reflections on how current sociopolitical trends in the country may continue to challenge educational systems to structure care for immigrant communities and the educators who serve them.
Bio: Dr. Rebecca Lowenhaupt is a Professor of Educational Leadership in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. She conducts research about leadership and school reform in relation to shifting immigration patterns and a changing policy landscape for Multilingual Learners (MLs). Drawing on multiple methods of empirical research, including survey methods, qualitative analysis, and social network analysis, her work has focused on distributed and instructional leadership, educational reform, and cross-sector initiatives to support immigrant youth. A former middle-school teacher, she teaches aspiring school and district leaders about instructional leadership, policy implementation, organizational learning, and research methods. Her scholarship has appeared in several academic journals, including the American Education Research Journal and the Journal of Educational Administration. She has received funding for her research from the W.T. Grant Foundation, Spencer Foundation and the National Science Foundation. She serves as an associate editor on two peer-reviewed journals, Educational Policy and the Journal of Professional Capital and Community.
