Only Somewhat Prepared: Educational Leaders in Iowa Making Sense of Equity Concerns

• In Event: Leadership Perspectives for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

Abstract

The impacts of COVID-19, anti-LGBTQ legislation, and bans against teaching “divisive concepts” have exacerbated the inequities that already existed in public schools. This qualitative study explores (1) how educational leaders in Iowa respond to events related to racism, classism, and transphobia, and (2) how well their licensure programs prepared them to address these equity issues. Findings indicate that while Iowa’s educational leaders are interested in better understanding equity issues, they are only somewhat prepared to do so. Lessons from this study can help leadership preparation programs commit to engaging in remedy and repair toward just education renewal by identifying how coursework and field experiences can better prepare educational leaders in historically white yet diversifying schools to meet students’ needs.

Authors

• Ain A. Grooms, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Liz Hollingworth, University of Iowa

• SJ Hemmerich, University of Wisconsin - Madison