Date of Award
2026-05-01
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Educational Leadership and Administration
Advisor(s)
Rodolfo Rincones
Abstract
This study explores my experience of leading a school consolidation. It focuses on the first three years of bringing two school communities together under one campus. This study uses an autoethnographic approach to examine leadership, identity, culture, and relationships during this process. Data comes from personal reflections, documents, and recorded events. The analysis uses reflexive thematic analysis to identify key patterns across experiences. The findings show that consolidation is not just a structural change. It is a human process that involves identity disruption, cultural tension, emotional labor, and ongoing learning. Leadership did not follow a fixed model. It shifted based on daily needs, relationships, and emerging challenges. Trust developed over time through consistent presence, communication, and follow-through. Resistance often reflected deeper concerns about belonging and loss. Much of the labor remained unseen but was essential in keeping the organization stable. This study suggests that effective consolidation requires relational and adaptive leadership. It also highlights the need for district systems and policies that support leaders and communities over time. The findings contribute to educational leadership research by centering lived experience and by showing how leadership develops within complex and changing environments.
Language
en
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Copyright Date
2026-05
File Size
165 p.
File Format
application/pdf
Rights Holder
Claudia Angelica Ureno-Olivas
Recommended Citation
Ureno-Olivas, Claudia Angelica, "Navigating School Consolidation: An Autoethnographic Study of Leadership, Identity, And Organizational Change" (2026). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 4816.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/4816