In this episode of In the Lead with UCEA, Executive Director Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez talks with Dr. Michael Dantley, Dean Emeritus of Miami University College of Education, and president of UCEA from 2005-2006. They discuss his rich experience spanning five decades in Education. Michael talks about the seismic shifts that leadership theories have undergone in that time—from the once-dominant positivist models to today's more critical and inclusive frameworks. Michael's insights shine a spotlight on how critical race theory and feminist perspectives have reshaped our understanding of educational leadership. 

Michael dives into his focus on the spiritual component of leadership and expounds on these ideas more in his book, Leading with a Critical Spirit: New Strategies for Educational Leaders. Michael and Mónica also look ahead to the exciting potential brought forth by emerging scholars in the field. This is not just a retrospective—it's a glimpse into the future fabric of educational leadership. Don’t miss this excellent conversation.

In the Lead with UCEA is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Bringing a fresh perspective on educational leadership & UCEA’s impactful contribution

We began to present at UCEA. And there were persons who, you know, still had great allegiance to the way we had been thinking about leadership, who were pushing, you know, and saying, this whole notion of social justice that we were talking about and looking at issues of race and gender and social aspects of leadership, they were like, “No, we don't need to do that, because leadership is leadership, period. That’s something that you guys are trying to put into the field that's not necessary.” So, there was real honest-to-goodness pushback on folks. But we continued to fight by making these presentations at UCEA at the annual conference. Some of us — a lot of us — got elected to be representatives for our organization, for our institution. And so, UCEA then became, really, a space where our ideas could at least gain some footing.

What Michael discovered about the role of spirituality in leadership

One of the areas that I really have enjoyed exploring has been leadership and spirituality. And so, I really did begin to ask a question about, how does one's spirit… one's spiritual acumen, if you will, how does that impact leadership? And so, I did a study of principles through the snowball effect. And I came up with five or six principals across the country who claim that their spirituality impacted the way that they lead.

I looked at some principals in Michigan, in Louisiana, and here in Ohio. And you're right. As I explored those interviews, I went to those places and those observations. I thought, yeah, this is true. These people's spirituality is really playing a major role in how they lead their schools.

The endless possibilities UCEA has given Michael Dantley

I think the camaraderie and the companionship of other scholars in educational leadership was one of the real benefits of UCEA. UCEA gave me opportunities to lead in ways that I had not even dreamed of. I had never thought of being the president of UCEA. I never thought that could be, you know, would be possible. I was editor for JCEL, and, you know, I didn't think I would ever be an editor of a journal. And so, it has given me space. It's given me space to share my thoughts. It's given me space to be a leader. And it's given me space to see other young people come to the fore. That's been a real joy of mine.

Passing the torch: Young scholars pursue deeper questions in UCEA's academic landscape

I was thinking about some of the young scholars that I remember presenting with at UCEA and just excited about what they're doing now, you know. And some of them, I was able to see at AERA this past week. And honestly, I don't want to sound paternalistic but I was very proud of these young scholars who have really made phenomenal contributions to our field. And it gave me great, great pleasure to see even younger scholars coming up to them and thanking them for their work. And then they introduced me to them and say, “Well, this is Dr. Dantley, and he da, da, da, da,” all that stuff. But I mean, it's just passing the torch, you know. It's just moving on and on. And that, I was really excited about that.

Show Links:

• Leading with a Critical Spirit: New Strategies for Educational Leaders
• Michael Dantley LinkedIn