This Is Why I’m Here: Instructional Leadership for Authentic Change for Equity

• In Event: Roots, Thorns and Shoots: Cultivating Teacher Perspectives to Reimagine Teaching for Collective Liberation

Abstract

After two months of supporting or coordinating standardized testing in my role as an instructional coach, I was wondering if I would get back to the work that is most important to me: supporting administrators and teachers in efforts to move my building's culture and instructional practices that best serve our students. In a four-year comprehensive high in the Seattle suburbs, we serve nearly 2,000 students, with more than 70 percent self-identified as People of Color, we have found trends in student engagement and sense of belonging necessitate a review of our grading practices as well as through climate and culture survey data as well as empathy interviews that indicate there is work to do.
Students report not feeling understood by adults and want support through relationships with staff including but not limited to teachers. Students also indicated in the empathy interview data they want teachers to help them develop relationships with peers. Meanwhile, in a review of syllabi and discussion of grading practices with staff, a book study group I led this past school year demonstrates inconsistent policies at best and inequitable ones at worst. On a day in late May, I attended meetings on the empathy interviews, which we conducted with a group of 10 Black and Brown boys across multiple grade levels, then led the last book study meeting on Grading for Equity (Feldman, 2018) and by the end of the afternoon, I realized this work is why I'm here.
There are many steps left to complete the work we've started grounded in Feldman’s book (2018) as well as Safir & Dugan (2022) empathy interview data protocols, however, now is the opportunity to move the silent majority of our staff toward equitable practices that make learning in our building humanizing and academically engaging for our students who primarily come from marginalized communities.This is not without challenge. Separately and unbeknownst to each other, my principal and one of my colleagues identified that there is a group of teachers who are a vocal minority critical and resistant to culturally responsive and equitable instructional practices. They obstruct change and claim to represent the majority of the certificated staff. Going forward will require strong, courageous instructional leadership to call in those educators who are willing while standing up to those who are not yet.
Feldman discusses the idea of implementing equitable grading practices in bite-size chunks. This has broader implications in the building. We can call in staff by moving toward equitable practices one manageable strategy at a time.

Author

• Kris Hill, University of Washington