When Latinx Leaders Lead, They Bring Possibility
A Note from Dayson
If you walk into a North Carolina public school today, there’s a one-in-five chance the student you meet is Latinx. Now, walk into the front office and ask to speak to the principal. Odds are, the person in charge won’t share that student’s language, culture, or lived experience.
That disconnect isn’t just demographic, it’s structural. And I’ve felt it personally.
A few years ago, I ran for a seat on my local board of education. I was a former classroom teacher, an equity specialist in a neighboring district, and am the son of immigrants. I believed, and still believe, that our communities deserve leaders who reflect them. I didn’t win. But I learned just how hard it is to step into leadership when the system wasn’t designed for you.
Now, as I research the experiences of Latinx principals across North Carolina, I keep coming back to that moment. Not because of the loss, but because of what it revealed: the barriers are real, but so is the brilliance of those who persist anyway.
Digging Deeper: Why Principal Diversity Can’t Wait
According to the most recent data, North Carolina has about 2,600 public school principals. Of those, only 2%, roughly 52 individuals, are Latinx. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 students in our public schools is Latinx. That’s not just a demographic gap. That’s a structural failure with deep policy roots.
It’s a gap I’ve felt in my own life.
A few years ago, I ran for a seat on my local board of education. I was a public school graduate, a former teacher, a central office staffer, and the son of immigrants. I knew the system from the inside and from the margins. I ran because I wanted to bring my students’ (and their families’) voice to the table, because too often, we’re talked about but never included in decisions that shape our children’s futures.
I didn’t win.
And while the results were disappointing, they weren’t surprising. The system wasn’t built with us in mind. And it certainly wasn’t built for us to lead it.
My experience mirrors what I’ve found over and over again in my doctoral research. And what I suspect I will collect in the testimonios from Latinx principals across North Carolina, leaders who have made it into the principal’s office despite barriers that range from racially coded hiring practices to leadership pipelines that exclude their lived experience. They speak of cultural isolation, of being the “only one,” of having to navigate school systems that prize conformity over authenticity.
But they also speak of power, of bringing their whole selves to the work. Leading with their roots, not despite them.
And here's the truth: diverse leadership isn’t just nice to have, it’s necessary.
Students thrive when they see themselves in their leaders. Communities trust schools more when decision-makers reflect their lived experience. School culture changes when leadership understands, not just academically, but personally, what belonging feels like and what happens when it’s missing.
If we want real equity, we have to stop asking Latinx educators to assimilate in order to lead. We need to change the systems that have kept us out.
That means:
Principal prep programs that center Latinx voices, not just include them.
Hiring practices that actively disrupt bias, not reproduce it.
State and district leaders who invest in leadership diversity as a strategic priority, not an optional DEI checkbox.
It also means recognizing that leadership doesn’t start at the top. It begins in our classrooms, in our communities, and in our refusal to accept invisibility.
When Latinx educators lead, they don’t just bring perspective. They bring possibility.
RootED Resource: Nuestra Esperanza
What do Latinx education leaders in North Carolina need to thrive? That’s the question at the heart of Nuestra Esperanza, a groundbreaking report from LatinxEd that explores the lived experiences of Latinx educators across the state. Through surveys and focus groups with LatinxEd Fellows, the report highlights both the barriers and sources of hope that define the leadership journey.
Key Insights:
Latinx leaders face cultural isolation, racism, and limited access to decision-making spaces
Many are doing more with less—wearing multiple hats without compensation or recognition
Despite the challenges, hope, community, and cultural roots remain powerful motivators for staying in the field
This report was a catalyst for my dissertation work. It reminded me that we are not alone and that our stories hold the power to shift systems.
Download the full report here.
Use this in leadership team meetings, district equity audits, or to advocate for meaningful investment in principal prep and retention programs.
In the News: To Address Pandemic Setbacks, Districts Put Focus on Effective School Leaders
In this timely interview, Tricia McManus—Superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools—shares how her district is addressing post-pandemic learning loss by investing in what matters most: diverse, effective school leadership.
McManus outlines a district-wide strategy to strengthen the principal pipeline, including affinity groups like Progressa for Latino leaders, intentional recruitment partnerships with local universities, and coaching structures that prioritize belonging, representation, and deeper learning.
“The only way to eliminate barriers and ensure that every student in our district has access to the very best learning experience is through strong leaders who work tirelessly and make no excuses for a lack of learning.”
—Tricia McManus
Why this matters:
This piece reinforces what many of us already know from experience and research: when principals of color lead, they help recruit and retain teachers of color, and that has real outcomes for students. Winston-Salem/Forsyth is showing what’s possible when systems align their values with their structures.
Use this as a case study when advocating for local principal pipeline investments and equity-centered leadership development.
Equity Spotlight: Featured Leader - Sonia Márquez
This week’s spotlight shines on Sonia Márquez, whose leadership journey reminds us what it means to lead with heart, resilience, and purpose.
At the recent #TeachingInColor Summit hosted by CREED NC, I had the privilege of hearing Principal Márquez share her story. A native of Wilson, NC, with over two decades in education, she spoke candidly about the emotional toll of being the only Spanish-speaking or Latinx person in a school—and the way leadership roles often come with unspoken expectations to assimilate.
One line, in particular, stayed with me:
“They want the Brown face but they don’t want the Brown voice.”
Despite that reality, Principal Márquez continues to lead with authenticity, advocating for her students and for equity-centered school culture. She’s modeling what it looks like to lead without leaving your identity at the door.
She’s actively changing that narrative for her students, her staff, and for the next generation of Latinx leaders.
Read more about Sonia’s story in the #TeachingInColor magazine by CREED NC (see pages 9–10).
Representation matters. And Principal Márquez is living proof that it transforms entire school communities.
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