Increasingly Diverse Schools: Coming from Our Histories toward Leading in a Time of DEI Backlash

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Equity and Social Justice Leadership Among Backlash Against DEI

Abstract

Our school communities continue to grow more pluralistic across multiple dimensions of diversity. Schools play a central role in educating this increasingly diverse population and face historic and current challenges in doing this. This work is grounded in socio-cultural learning theory of communities of practice (COPs). Members of the COP dug into seven specific dimensions of diversity: disability, socioeconomic status, race, language, sexual identity and gender identity, religion, and social ecosystems. For each dimension we asked a leading scholar and team, part of the COP, to: 1) map the histories and current realities, 2) develop a summary of empirical literature highlighting best practices, and 3) highlight tools and strategies to support leaders in creating inclusive schools.

Authors

• Martin Scanlan, Boston College

• George Theoharis, Syracuse University