Families and communities are stronger when the schools that serve them are able to attract, retain, and promote great educators to serve their neighborhoods. We will strengthen the resolve, share the successes, and learn from the mistakes of current school leaders to improve future outcomes for schools and their communities. Specifically, we will tackle difficult conversations and issues facing urban educators and leaders. We will discuss and explore the real impact that adverse race-relations and a historically white-dominated workforce have on today’s teachers and leaders, and strengthen our ability to retain teachers and leaders of color in urban minority-majority communities.
PREPARATORY LEADERSHIP COLLABORATIVE VISION:
The phrase “it’s lonely at the top” is one that is all too familiar for urban school leaders, but it doesn’t have to be this way. We envision a future of education where black and latino leaders of color stay in the public PK-12 education sector for long-term careers; we will help to achieve this by forming a collaborative of members that can thought-partner, share, discuss, and problem-solve how to recruit, train, and retain new educators in high-impact roles in their schools. Together, we will make an impact.
ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP APPROACH:
We will select high-capacity current urban school leaders at all levels that are excited to be part of a team that can begin to reform how we recruit, develop, promote, and retain black and latino educators in PK-12 public schools. Our monthly meetings will consist of the following:
DISCOURSE
STAGE 1
- Unmask the problem(s) associated with being an educator of color in PK-12 urban public schools,
- Expose bias and accept differing opinions,
- Hypothesize causes and solutions,
- Address concerns head-first,
- Agree to disagree when necessary.
DEVELOPMENT
STAGE 2
- As a cohort, develop hypothesis to support a pathway for black and latino educators to enter, and remain in education,
- Design a plan for addressing issues facing black and latino educators in leader’s schools,
- Propose plan-of-action.
ACTION
STAGE 3
- Attend professional development on Theories of Change to be able to successfully implement plan within leader’s schools,
- Implement plan-of-action with coaching and support of PLC,
- Report back addressing best practices and lessons learned.
SEEKING LEADERS WHO ARE:
- High-capacity leaders in urban public schools,
- Believe that it is the shared responsibility of the education industry to address the disparity that perpetuates low retention of high-potential educators of color,
- Passionate about equity and access to an excellent education and believe that diversity and inclusion at all levels will benefit kids and communities,
- Willing to learn, grow, and develop best practices to take back to their own schools,
- Humble, willing to take risks, celebrate successes, and admit mistakes,
- Dedicated to creating career-pathways for the next generation of visionary leaders in education reform.
- Committed to attending monthly events during school hours.