Why We Need Equity And Access In School Leadership

It’s hard to pick up a newspaper or scroll through social media without coming across an article about the crisis facing U.S. public schools. Teachers and counselors are leaving their professions in great numbers due to the increased stress of working in a Covid-laden environment and the continued lack of support and respect for their profession. At the same time, according to new research from the Brookings Institute, there is a twin crisis happening with principals and other school leaders. Those in leadership roles are leaving quickly and there is very little diversity at the top despite growing diversity among student populations.

A new book — Equity & Access: An Analysis of Educational Leadership Preparation, Policy, & Practice — by Denver Fowler, Julian Vasquez Heilig, Sarah Jouganatos, and Arvin Johnson — aims to tackle the issue of school leadership. The authors wrote the book because they saw a need to write a book focused on equity as it applies to school leadership. More specifically, according to Fowler, “As demographics are changing, we need to better prepare our leaders for culturally relevant leadership practices. The status quo is unacceptable, and we must have the courage to be a little uncomfortable and stretch ourselves to better understand and serve an increasingly diverse student populace.”

The authors were also focused on writing a book that engaged practicing school leaders – including principals and superintendents. Fowler shared, “How we train leaders has to change because the students we are serving are changing. There is modern day pressure to ignore cultural relevance, the chapters in this book succinctly make the case why that would be sabotaging our nation’s vitality and future success.” Fowler, who serves as the Associate Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies at California State University, Bakersfield, is referring to the rapidly changing demographics in public schools in the U.S., with the majority of kindergarteners being students of color as well as the majority of K-12 students in public schools. He also alludes to the recent backlash against public school teachers and their efforts to serve the needs of all students and ensure that they provide a culturally relevant curriculum.

Of concern, given the nation today, Fowler shared, “Academics are often the first to call for change and the last to do so. We have to do the heavy lifting and reevaluate our curriculum and who is qualified to teach a modern and culturally relevant curriculum.” He is also concerned about the growing proliferation of online, for-profit educational leadership degree programs. These programs often focus on quantity over quality and Fowler finds this highly problematic because having high quality school leadership, focused on serving the needs of a diverse student population, is essential to the success of schools and the education of all students.

In response to the growing number of states that are loosening requirements for teachers and school leaders in the face of teacher shortages, Fowler stated, “We need to support public policy that doesn’t thrust unprepared educators into leadership positions. Ultimately, problematic educational leadership could sabotage and be the downfall of public education.”

Co-author Vasquez Heilig shared that “more so than at any other time throughout history, both practicing school leaders and professors who prepare aspiring school leaders have been exposed to diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This is certainly encouraging to say the least, as we know this has not always been the case.” He added, “However, what is most concerning, is that regardless of this exposure, we still have a long way to go to ensure all school leaders fully understand how to lead for equity in schools.” Vasquez Heilig, who serves as the dean of the college of education at the University of Kentucky, shared that despite the work to be done, he is optimistic and believes we are on our way to change.

Vasquez Heilig, who is fairly practical, suggests that an equitable society is one that is “thoughtful regarding all members and groups when making decisions that will ultimately affect everyone…versus making decisions while only thinking about how it might positively (or negatively) affect certain groups and members of our society.”

The authors of Equity & Access are hopeful that the roadmap that they provide for professors teaching school leaders, and the school leaders themselves, will make a difference in the lives of the nation’s children.