Principals' ethical and social justice leadership in serving English language learners: English as a second language and Bilingual teachers' perceptions

The purpose of this study was to examine ESL and Bilingual teachers' perceptions of principals' ethical and social justice leadership in promoting equity and achievement for English language learners in Wisconsin. Over 140 teachers responded to this mixed- methods survey. Findings from the study indicated that while teachers viewed their principals as caring and concerned about their students, they also described principals as lacking in knowledge about leading schools with English language learners. Some areas that were perceived negatively include principals' lack of cultural awareness, lack of support for bilingual instruction, and lack of knowledge of quality instruction for English language learners. Recommendations were made for requiring coursework related to English language learners as part of principal licensure.