Dismantling Racial Injustice by Helping Special Education Central Office Leaders Construct New Systemic Possibilities

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Leveraging Organizational Theory to Understand and Address Racial Inequities (Table 17)

Abstract

The goal of this study is to understand the opportunities that special education (SE) central office leaders have to provide socially just, equitable, and inclusive learning environments for all students. Additionally, this study explores possible changes to existing school systems that would help SE central office leaders cultivate more racially just, equitable, and inclusive environments. We interviewed 37 Special Education Directors from districts across the country. We leverage both institutional theory and the construct of DefectCraft to understand how SE central office leaders are positioned within their school systems, how their position complicates their efforts to provide just and equitable learning opportunities, and how school systems could be shifted to better support leaders’ efforts to ameliorate systemic inequities.

Authors

• Lok-Sze Wong, University of North Texas

• Jennifer R. Cowhy, University of Arkansas

• Lauren I. Katzman, Arizona State University

• Meredith Bowling, University of North Texas