Leading for Racial Equity

• In Event: Accelerating Learning: Equity-Centered District Strategies to Support Students During COVID Recovery

Abstract

This paper will share the design, implementation, and initial outcomes of an 18-month leadership development fellowship. The Racial Equity Leadership Network (RELN) is a professional learning fellowship serving cohorts of 12-15 executive leaders in the South committed to rooting out racially inequitable practices in the districts they lead. RELN provides an experience designed to 1) explore the racialized nature of public education and how racism, power, and privilege are systematically and institutionally embedded in American districts, 2) illuminate the power of leadership as a lever for district transformation, and 3) build the will, skill, and capacity of district leaders to leverage their positional power to create learning environments where race and class are no longer reliable predictors of student success.

There is a growing literature on the role of district leadership in equity-oriented change. This research underscores the role of executive leaders as key actors in an effort to create more equitable and inclusive districts (DeMatthews et al., 2017; Larson & Barton, 2013; Maxwell et al., 2013). The curriculum driving RELN is based on a thorough review of the extant literature on equity-oriented leadership, as well as qualitative accounts from seasoned practitioners.

RELN adheres to a double-helix leadership development model. One thread focuses on individual leadership—sharpening the racial equity lens of district leaders while providing tools to enhance their capacity to influence policy and practice. The second strand focuses on systems change—providing models of districts engaged in equity work and supporting fellows to address a specific policy or practice in their districts that they want to change.

Findings from the first three cohorts suggest that after concluding the program, fellows are using their positional power to address persistent, racial disparities in their systems. All fellows have initialized a district-level design team focused specifically on racial equity. While the progress of those design teams varies, many have made important policy moves. One, for example, has created an equity report card so that district decisions explicitly address the gaps identified in data. Another has created a mission statement focused on racial equity and has created a district-wide equity task force. Evidence from the past year indicates that participation in this fellowship directly influenced the approaches leaders used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with an equity lens.

This work is a significant contribution to the field of leadership development, as well as to education practice and policy. RELN demonstrates that when coached and provided equity-centered learning experiences, district leaders can build systems that work to address persistent racial disparities. The documentation and research on this fellowship will support future endeavors to build leadership development programs focused on improving racial equity.

Author

• Kenita T. Williams, Johns Hopkins University