Equity-Centered Leader Reflection

As a teacher-leader, I have been assigned a number of wide-ranging and important informal roles in my career thus far that have enabled me to support and contribute towards the success of not only my students, but also my department and my school as a whole. By assuming these diverse leadership roles, I have been able to develop professionally, improve student attainment, positively influence the teaching and learning practice of my peers and contribute towards the culture and ethos of the schools I have worked in.

For the purpose of this assignment, the leader I have chosen Ms. J, the principal of a charter school in New Orleans charter school named Harriet Tubman Charter School. Ms. J was also a founder of a school network that oversees 3 elementary to 8th grade schools. Founded in 2011 the schools now serve over 1700 students in the New Orleans area. Tubman Charter school has a staff of eighty. Ms. Lauses role is to oversee eight staff members that ensure that the school produces leading results for the state as well as promising scholars that will path their way to college. As the principal of this school specifically, Ms. J has large obstacles that go beyond the walls of the school. Harriet Tubman Charter school is within a neighborhood that struggles both economically and educationally. Almost 100% of the scholars qualify for a free lunch and are black or Latino and the kindergartens scholars that arrive on the first day know only one or two letters of the alphabet. Historically before Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans on 38% of public school students graduated high school (quote). While most people see this as a place where most people see extreme challenges, Ms. J see’s it as an opportunity for change and promise.

Build human capital that will drive our school progress toward school goals by improving teacher and leader capacity.

The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children by Gloria Ladson-Billings was a great resource in thinking about how I would work toward influencing my staff, and the school community as a whole, to engage in discussions about equity. Most notably, she advises us to “acknowledge the race and culture of your students and try to weave it into your teachings” and to “foster a sense of community”. I am lucky to work in a school that was founded and lead by a woman of color for the last 6 years, so equity conversations are not as awkward as they may be in some other schools. In light of recent travesties of justice that have occurred in the US over the past year, these conversations have the potential to become more high-stakes

According to author John C. Maxwell, “Good leadership isn’t about advancing yourself;it’s about advancing your team.” Much like Maxwell’s quote, I strive to advance my peers and my fellow students at South Florence High School. In my years at South Florence I’ve done my best to lead and be an example at this school by not only participating in clubs, but by doing my best academically. One thing that coincides with great leadership skills is a strong sense and acceptance of diversity in our school environment. Attending a school with a diverse student body helps prepare students for the culturally and ethnically diverse nation which we will be entering after we graduate and begin our lives.

As you begin a concerted effort to change the culture of your district and tackle the achievement gap

My proposed solution to this is that school counselors and city mayors can be a major source of inspiration to children who are affected by a challenge like this. They can advise them on how to build themselves with determination to make a difference.

In earlier stages of my career, I discovered aspirations for student success when employed as the 4-H Agent Assistant for Jackson County. Through the interaction with students of a diverse culture seeking guidance and leadership, I learned early on that I had the ability to touch a student’s life in a positive way. By teaching life-long lessons and leadership characteristics at the secondary education level, I watched these individuals begin to mature into productive citizens. This was the beginning point of my educational venture.

During my time at Excellence Boys Charter School of Bedford Stuyvesant , I have seen how the right balance of joy and rigor combined with love and high expectations can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life. I have the rare opportunity each day to invalidate a popular narrative written for boys of color. Boys of color can learn and achieve. They can participate in engaging and rigorous discourse. We are smart and intelligent. This is the daily reality of my classroom. A reality I’ve created through hard work and practice. A reality I’ve built with lessons from my own mistakes and shortcomings. A reality that is _______. A reality that I’m ready to take from my classroom and expand across a

“It is unequivocally clear that leaders are not like other people” (Kirkpatrick and Locke, 1991, as cited in Northouse, P. G., 2016, p.22). I have always thought that I was not like other people; I see the world through a different lens. This difference, which sets me apart from my peers, has sometimes restrained my progress; however, after studying my differences and seeing them as strengths, I can now focus on these strengths that make me a unique, passionate, progressive leader. In reflecting on my leadership skills, I will analyze the results of the leadership questionnaires, as presented in Peter Northouse’s book, Leadership:Theory and practice (7th ed.), connect those result strengths with the

Additionally, I empower and engage community members, stakeholders and parents through authentic transparency, integrity, empowerment and effective communication. I am accountable for insuring that instruction is personalized and that students are engaged in learning. I analyze reliable performance indicators and testing procedures to measure performance outcomes through integration of resources for multicultural sensitivity. I am mindful that my verbalized attitudes and feelings are vital to effective relationship-building with all stakeholders in the educational environment. The benefit that I will receive as a doctoral student in the HGSE program is fundamental for understanding how to become skilled at navigating around bureaucracy, red tape, and hierarchies in order to advocate for kids while keeping in mind policy, ethics, and legal parameters. My leadership experiences has transformed my view of relationship building and increased my understanding of how crucial effective communication is to successful instructional

For the purpose of this study, I focus and connect two student identities to equity leadership, those grounded in supporting students of color (particularly black and Latina/o students) and of low-socioeconomic status (SES). I recognize other identities (such as language, special education, and other ethnicities to name a few) can result in marginalization. However, from my own experiences as a K-12 student, educator, and graduate student, I have come to recognize that educators have great difficulty engaging in dialogue about race and low-SES. Race and class are two social identities that have significant impact on the educational outcome for students with implication for “gaps” in education (Darling-Hammond, 2007a; Darling-Hammond, 2007b;

I am motivated by working with students who are impacted by a cycle of poverty. I have established high expectations and analyzed student data to combat the achievement gap. Differentiation has been at the forefront of my instruction to meet the needs of all my students regardless of race, gender or academic ability. I have attained professional development seminars on cultural competency to ensure I am an equitable educator. However, it is important that I continue to pursue my educational and professional’s goals to achieve my

As an educational leader, I have encountered several new and existing school policies. I never thought deeply about the various processes and the stakeholders involved in policy formulation and implementation. This semester I am engaged in the course Managing Educational Policy as School Leaders (EDLM 6005). This is Semester III, 2016/2017. My course coordinator is Dr. Timar Stephenson. Dr Stephenson was my course coordinator once before and was very helpful whenever I needed clarification or when I had a difficulty. I am thrilled to embrace the new ideas and learning opportunities embedded in this course since it teaches issues which I experience at work. Dr Stephenson, during his introduction reminded his entire class that success in this course would only be realized through hard work, dedication, and commitment. Therefore, it is imperative that I have the right attitude as I navigate this course. The course involves seven weeks of intense work. I am pleased to have a wonderful group facilitator by the name of Rhonda Joseph who has already given us a BBC to explain the requirements of the course and our first two modules.

I recognize three considerations to my study: (1) sample size, (2) subjectivity, and (3) trustworthiness of my research that need to be acknowledged. The first consideration of my study is based on a small sample size of eight school leaders. I’ve come to recognize that my findings in this narrative study can only be generalized by the lived experiences and told stories given by each of the selected principals in the study. An important perspective in narrative studies is that a small sample size allows only for researchers to provide the context and content of those participants in the study. And by capturing the entire story as told by my selected participants, I will be in the right position to present a more holistic grounding of their work as school leaders in pursuit of equity. Indeed, additional studies that desire to engage this kind of research is sorely needed in order to broaden and/or augment the findings of such a study. I believe the current value of this study is its ability to capture the nuances of leadership practices, dispositions, and challenges that can better inform school leadership for the just rights of others.