4. School Leaders “Operating and Operationalizing Through Controversy”: Implementing the Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education Competencies

• In Event: Dismantling Racial+ Injustice Through Systems Change Work: A Conversation About Pennsylvania’s Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Educational Practices

Abstract

This paper chronicles a group of school leaders in a predominantly white school district who are “operating and operationalizing through controversy” in their journey to implement the new Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CRSE) competencies. Drawing from the notion that, “there are no neutral spaces in the work of equity, racial justice, advocacy, and activism” (Milner, 2020), these school leaders contemplate questions such as, “what does advocacy look like for school leaders in a climate where “belonging” is a controversial concept? How do leaders develop the capacity and confidence to facilitate dialogue about anti-racism and culturally relevant and sustaining education? What does it mean to make systemic change in a district that has historically prioritized race-neutral (Bonilla-Silva, 2014, 2022) policies and practices? Through data collected at a series of workshops, strategic planning sessions, and interviews, this paper provides a telling case for how school leaders can navigate a complex political landscape and move from controversy to dialogue in implementing the CRSE competencies.

Author

• Laura A. Roy, La Salle University