Abstract
Schools and school leaders are well-positioned to create school cultures that are supportive of all students, including students who identify as LGBTQ and those who are perceived as other due to status of race, class, or ability. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore how faculty and staff at the Magic City Acceptance Academy (MCAA) promote an ethical and caring school culture. To guide our thinking and interpretation of research findings, our team relied on two conceptual frameworks, including queer theory and the ethical educational leadership framework ethic of care. Based on inductive coding of focus group data with MCAA faculty, staff, and administrators, four overall themes emerged: (a) Considering the whole student, (b) Being authentic, (c) Providing a brave and affirming environment, and (d) Flying the plane while building it. After studying the data and forming our findings from this research, our team is convinced that MCAA is truly an ethical and mission-driven enterprise, deeply committed on many levels to challenging societal norms by creating and nurturing a school culture that bravely and uniquely seeks to address the social, emotional, and academic needs of LGBTQ students and their allies. In doing so, MCAA provides an ethical, caring, and courageous school culture for some of our most vulnerable youth, one that disrupts societal norms and challenges the typical social structure of public schools.
Methodological Approach
Qualitative
DOI
https://doi.org/10.60808/3kw7-ct86
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Gurley, D. K., White, D., & Fifolt, M. (2024). Placing student success and well-being at the center of the educational process: How the Magic City Acceptance Academy promotes an ethical and caring school culture. Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.60808/3kw7-ct86
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Secondary Education Commons
