In this inspiring collection, 13 early childhood leaders take action to challenge and change inequitable educational practices in preschools and elementary schools. For them, educating for social justice is not an empty platitude. Steadfast and resolute, they turn rhetoric into reality as they guide early childhood teachers to teach for social justice innovatively and strategically. Through the voices of families, teachers, and the administrators themselves, each chapter shares ways that these leaders use the power entrusted in them to question and disrupt discriminatory and marginalizing practices that deny opportunities for some students while privileging others. The book includes insights, strategies, and resources that administrators can use to build confidence, knowledge, and skills as they invest in more equitable and just pre/schools. Book Features: Highlights the actions of administrators as they take a stand to transcend standardized approaches to teaching and learning, creating more equitable educational environments.Portrays strategies and resources used to engage teachers in critical examination of self and the institutions in which they work.Describes principles and practices that guide administrators as they support the development of culturally relevant practices and policies. Offers powerful ways early childhood administrators can approach inequitable mandates.Highlights the voices of families as they participate in and are impacted by the work of administrators. “Susi Long, Mariana Souto-Manning, and Vivian Vasquez, scholars with stellar reputations in the fields of early childhood education, critical literacy, and social justice education, have combined their considerable talents to edit a book that will serve as a beacon of hope for administrators, policymakers, and educators at all levels of learning and teaching.” —From the Foreword by Sonia Nieto, professor emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and bestselling author

Abstract The inscription of courageous social justice practice in educational leadership is deeply embedded in the everyday struggle to advance just education and educational spaces. Despite the robust and controversial history of education, there is little research pertaining to the role of courage. This dearth is perplexing in light of the many socially just-minded school leaders who have persistently enacted numerous overt and discreet forms of social justice activism to shape the quality of education in an unsettling social order. A critical constructivist theoretical approach was used to explore how educational leaders employ courage to promote social justice. Based on qualitative interviews with 12 educational leaders, this research explores the perspectives of individuals who see courage as an indispensable value in their professional careers. Leaders' approaches to social justice, their understandings of courage, the role of courage in their pursuit of socially just endeavours and the challenges which participants believe enmesh the assignment of leading courageously for social justice are addressed. Educational leaders' acts of courage for social justice are informed by four interrelated themes: 1) Social Justice as a Particular Social Ideal, 2) The Intentional Nature of Everyday Courage, 3) The Emboldening Influence of Courage in Leadership and 4) Challenges to Employing Courage in School Leadership for Social Justice. Specific challenges are: Realities Surrounding Bureaucratic and Relational Tensions, Issues of Governing Authority, Issues of Trust, Issues of Conversational Incivility and Fear to Act on New Insights. In response to the afore-mentioned aspects, participants appeal to new school leaders to cultivate a courageous mindset. The appeal includes: 1) Resisting the Exceptionality Impulse, 2) Resisting Retreat and the Passion for Self-Distrust, 3) Resisting Uninformed (Gut) Leadership and 4) Being Faithful to the Bigger Picture. Keywords: Educational Leadership, Social Justice, Courage.

Excellence Through Equity is an inspiring look at how real-world educators are creating schools where all students are able to thrive. In these schools, educators understand that equity is not about treating all children the same. They are deeply committed to ensuring that each student receives what he or she individually needs to develop their full potential and succeed. To help educators with what can at times be a difficult and challenging journey, Blankstein and Noguera frame the book with five guiding principles of Courageous Leadership: Getting to your core Making organizational meaning Ensuring constancy and consistency of purpose Facing the facts and your fears Building sustainable relationships. They further emphasize that the practices are grounded in three important areas of research that are too often disregarded: (1) child development, (2) neuroscience, and (3) environmental influences on child development and learning. You'll hear from Carol Corbett Burris, Michael Fullan, Marcus J. Newsome, Paul Reville, Susan Szachowicz, and other bold practitioners and visionary thinkers who share compelling and actionable ideas, strategies, and experiences for closing the achievement gap in your classrooms and school. Ensuring that all students receive an education that cultivates their talents and potential is in all our common interest. As Andy Hargreaves writes in the coda: "The opportunity for all Americans is to articulate and believe in an inspiring vision of educational change that is about what the next generation of America and Americans should become, not about a target or ranking that the nation should attain." From the Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "Letting go of a system of winners and losers in favor of what is proposed in this book is a courageous leap forward that we all must take together. Let this bold, practical book be a guide; and may you travel into this new exciting vista, in which every child can succeed."

Shaping Social Justice Leadership: Insights of Women Educators Worldwide contains evocative portraits of twenty-three women educators and leaders from around the world whose actions are shaping social justice leadership. Woven from words of their own narratives, the women’s voices lift off the page into readers’ hearts and minds to inspire and inform. Representing fourteen countries, these members of Women Leading Education Across the Continents (WLE) portray the complexity of twenty-first-century leadership. The variety of continents, countries, personal backgrounds, professional positions, and ages of those who contributed narratives give the book credibility. The portraits are framed with relevant scholarship and grouped thematically. Each carefully crafted portrait highlights an aspect of a chapter theme, followed by practical insights. The chapters develop a range of cultural comparisons, illustrate imperatives for social justice leadership, and examine values, skills, resilience, leadership pathways and actions. The authors invite all educators—both women and men—to shape social justice leadership through collective efforts around the globe that create new possibilities for a more just world. Learn more about Shaping Social Justice Leadershiphere.

Good intentions are not enough—create a bold new leadership paradigm to achieve equity in opportunities and outcomes! If you′re serious about providing a level playing field for all, it is time to do more than identify and lament the reasons for educational disparities and why they persist. John Robert Browne II shows how Culturally Courageous Leadership by all school community stakeholders can help you achieve equitable learning opportunities and outcomes for all students. This practical guide: Shows how to develop realistic, data-based plans for putting equity initiatives into action Helps district and school administrators work with teacher, parent, student, and community leaders to advance equity and excellence Provides concrete examples of what it takes to empower staff and stakeholders through collaborative leadership Offers tips on how to navigate the politics when addressing the interface between identity, race, culture, poverty, primary language, and achievement School-based examples, role-play activities, profiles of educators exemplifying leadership for equity, "make it personal" questions, facilitator notes, and diagnostic assessments are provided so you can engage your entire school or district community in equity transformation. If you are ready to take on the challenge of becoming an "equity warrior," then Walking the Equity Talk will show you the path forward.

Research shows that students' sense of belonging in their school communities is critically linked to academic achievement. This ninth and final book in The Soul of Educational Leadership series offers practical strategies for promoting socially responsible school cultures that foster greater student engagement and democratic values. A joint publication with the American Association of School Administrators and the HOPE Foundation with contributions from renowned educators Bonnie Davis, Linda Skrla, Randall Lindsey, and others, this book explores the key concepts of respect, equity, and character, and examines tough issues such as: - Reflecting on our own backgrounds and assumptions - Modeling socially responsible behavior - Teaching students to discern injustice - Enacting a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying. Students will shape tomorrow based on what they learn today. This compact guide equips educators to implement democratic practices, act in socially just ways, and impart democratic values to the citizens of the future.

"Since the highly acclaimed Courageous Conversations About Race offered educators a frame work and tools for promoting racial equity, many schools have implemented the Courageous Conversations Protocol. Now ... in a book that's rich with anecdote, Singleton celebrates the successes, outlines the difficulties, and provides specific strategies for moving Courageous Conversations from racial equity theory to practice at every level, from the classroom to the school superintendent's office"--Back cover.