Meanwhile, billions in taxpayer dollars are being diverted through school voucher programs to fund private institutions, including some in the South that were originally founded in resistance to desegregation. How can those of us committed to educational opportunity, especially those stepping into leadership roles, help turn the tide? It begins with investment in cultivating, supporting, and elevating leaders who are deeply grounded in the fight for equal opportunity in education. The political environment we face today requires nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and philanthropy to develop more courageous and clear-eyed leaders who understand both the history and the stakes. We need more leaders who are committed to improving the lives of students of color and students from low-income families, leaders who can communicate why equal opportunity matters, and who can rally others to the cause. The SELI fellowship was designed to do just that, providing emerging leaders the chance to study the legacy and ongoing reality of racial injustice in our education system, while equipping them to lead change. To drive systemic change, we must fully understand the challenges we face. That knowledge strengthens our capacity to make equal access and opportunity the center of our work, not just as a value, but as a civil right rooted in the U.S. Constitution and reaffirmed by Congress and the courts. I know SELI well. I once served as its first Director of Leadership Development, and I’ve seen firsthand how the program develops the mindsets and skillsets leaders need. Through SELI and SEF’s broader leadership work, we’ve learned several essential lessons. First, that leaders must don a transformational posture that poises them the lead school transformation, and this begins with the understanding that our own leadership is the first critical lever for transformation and change.
Transformation-focused leaders should also have what we call the three Cs: Clear-Eyed : A clear, astute understanding that transformation or racial justice- focused leadership is required to change students’ experiences for the better. It’s our responsibility to push for equal opportunity and enact change. For leaders in schools and school districts, we challenge them to move beyond instructional leadership and recognizes that this type of leadership is both different and intentional. Commitment: We must understand this work comes with risks. It can be difficult and arduous, often requiring great patience and vision. Transformation- focused leaders persevere through discomfort and ensure meaningful conversations and change for issues of race and additional topics based on your committed to ensuring students have more equal access and opportunities, leaders committed to education justice must continually seek out resources and opportunities to build our knowledge and professional capacity to remedy racial inequities in education. We ask which students aren’t served well — and why. We then adapt best practices to help meet all students’ needs. Finally, our leadership must be outcomes- driven. If students are not being served better—far better—than they are today, then we are falling short. That’s been true throughout history, and it’s especially true now. own context, leading to change. Capable : Even when we’re fully As we face down persistent inequities and emerging threats to public education, we must continue to prepare, support, and elevate the next generation of leaders— leaders who are clear-eyed, committed, and capable of carrying this work forward.
| ECHOES OF EXCELLENCE |
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