Code Switching

One element that school equity leadership-straddlers reveal in their role as school principals was the (known and unknown) use of “codeswitching.” The study of codeswitching has grown extensively after the 1960s and 1970s, yet general agreement about defining code switching remains problematic (Gardner-Chloros, 2009). Researchers argue that code switching helps those who use it in social interactions (Gal, 1988; Heller, 1988). Indeed, Gal (1988) argues, “codeswitching is a conversational strategy used to establish, cross or destroy group boundaries; to create, evoke or change interpersonal relations with their accompanying rights and obligations.” (p. 247). With this understanding in mind, I argue my participants use code switching as a formal tool to connect with various educational stakeholders. For this study, various black participants recognize their own use of code switching and describe how they use it in relation to their position of school leaders to support their impartiality. Also, a white principal (Mr. Richardson) readily shared with me his use of codeswitching without recognizing his engagement with it. Overall, equity leadership-straddlers use codeswitching to support their efforts to meet the needs of all their students.

Dr. Kirkpatrick is one leader who distinctively recognizes her exercise of codeswitching in her engagement with various families. Dr. Kirkpatrick shares with me how she engages her practice of impartiality with families, “I think you have to work with all of them—the same but different. Sometimes what my . . . Caucasian parents’ needs [are] different than what my African

American parents need.” Here, Dr. Kirkpatrick recognizes the needs of both black and white parents may be different sets the groundwork of herself as a leadership-straddler. She tells two stories showing how she navigates her position of principal when dealing with both a white and a black parent. Her first story is an incident she had with a white parent,

So, I’ll never forget, early on here in this school, I had a parent who wanted to talk to me about how my token economy system was impacting his child adversely. And is there any other behavior modification classes that we can offer. So, he came in, I had a behavior mode book on my shelf . . . He came in and I said, ‘So there is one token economy system that all of us subscribe to. It’s called our paycheck. So are you recommending that we don’t encourage children, cause they are not going to get a paycheck?’ He was like, ‘I hadn’t thought about it that way.’

Dr. Kirkpatrick reveals when confronted by a member of the dominant culture, she is able to defend a programming. In fact, Dr. Kirkpatrick recognized that the white parent “was going to try to intimidate [me] . . . with his knowledge.” Yet, she makes the following remark, “But I have my own knowledge set, I bring my own authors that I am going to talk about . . . he is like, ‘oh she really does know,’ So I can’t intimidate her on that.”

Dr. Kirkpatrick narrates another story, this time with a black parent. She starts,

So my other parent [black] will come in, ‘Why can’t I give my kid . . . get this type of treat?’ I’d say let’s talk about it. Come on in. This is the reason why, ‘do you know the most addictive substance in the world is sugar.’ Ohhh. It is. I said and we are trying to curb the amount of sugar your child eats because that’s important. I said, ‘I am not trying to hurt your child . . . you entrust me to educate and to keep them safe.’ So, because of that [emphasis added by her] I am left with having to limit them on the amount of sugary snacks and to not do that. ‘Oh, and I liked that outfit.’ ‘You like this outfit?’ ‘I do it’s sharp!’

Dr. Kirkpatrick tells me the above story of how she is able to diffuse a situation with a black parent who also has a problem with one of her initiatives. Thus, Dr. Kirkpatrick tells me, “[Be]cause we all have different entry points of what we need to have—to know.” Moreover, I

continued to engage Dr. Kirkpatrick about the usefulness for school leaders to have the ability to codeswitch. Dr. Kirkpatrick makes the following assertion, “I code switch all the time. You have to code switch.” Indeed, Dr. Kirkpatrick sees the ability to codeswitch helps because it provides her with the ability to take different “entry points to meet and connect with people.” Heller (1988) argues that codeswitching can be used as “a strategy which can signal shared culture or be used to create it.” (p. 270). Dr. Kirkpatrick reveals something of a leadership-straddler who has learn to aptly use the element of codeswitching in her equity efforts.

Mr. Green is another principal that recognizes his own use of codeswtiching in his leadership role. Mr. Green, also, helps extends the boundaries for the use of codeswitching across intergroup use. Mr. Green, pausing to reflect on his own engagement with codeswitching, proceeds to readily point out to me that it is not simply a black person characteristics because “my assistant principal is a white guy, but he relates well to African American students. Where as the first time he met my son, he complemented my son on the number of Jordan's he had.” Consequently, Mr. Green argues that his white assistant principal “can relate in his own way, you know with students” from different backgrounds.

James Richardson is a white school leader who uses codeswitching but does not identify using it. Mr. Richardson reveals to me something of his codeswitching when he shares a story when he was teaching at an alternative high school in the urban Riverdale Public School District (RPSD). He looks at me with a smile on his face and tells me,

It’s funny, I remember talking about external and internal fertilization. And these kids were looking at me like I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about. And then I actually started using some verbiage . . . some verbiage that probably most school’s would say you can’t talk like that. But they got it!

Mr. Richardson reveals how he transverse his own white privilege to responsively communicate with his black students. The element of codeswitching by the fair and just school leaders in this study demonstrates the use of differentiation of language (codeswitching) as a leadership skill and/or characteristic to transverse ethnic and/or racial boundaries to connect with both families and students.