Tainted Waters: A Phenomenological Analysis of P-12 Equity Leaders Amidst Anti-Equity Legislation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 1:45 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Reexamining Leadership for (Racial) Equity Challenges in K-12 and Higher Ed Contexts (Table 3)

Abstract

State education agencies, school boards, and state legislatures across the U.S. have passed legislation which restricts how topics of race, racism, gender, and gender identity can be discussed and addressed in schools. States like Arizona, Idaho, Florida, and Texas have all demonstrated fierce opposition to equity matters in their public school systems, making the roles of equity leaders such Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) that much more difficult. Navigating the politics which now surrounds equity work is a consistent barrier for equity leaders and educators alike. This phenomenological study explores the experiences of four Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) in P-12 environments within the context of anti-equity legislative bans.

Author

• Salandra Grice-Johnson, Sam Houston State University