Leading after the storm: New York city principal’s deployment of equity-oriented leadership post-Hurricane Maria

As principals navigate numerous priorities to lead their school, crises continue to seize principals’ attention. We collected and analyzed qualitative data to comprehend how principals responded to the influx of Puerto Rican students into New York City public schools post-Hurricane Maria. We attend to how these principals’ leadership activities matched tenets of equity-oriented and equality-oriented leadership. We found that sampled principals enacted equity-oriented leadership along four dimensions: (a) engaging in self-reflection and growth for equity; (b) influencing the sociopolitical context; (c) allocating resources; and (d) modeling. Our findings depict how principals in a large, urban district enact equity-oriented leadership while responding to a crisis. Moreover, we raise questions about supporting, preparing, and empowering leaders to enact equity-oriented leadership.