Sheree N. Alexander - Böcker

Effective leadership is the necessary ingredient in achieving educational improvement in schools; everything rises and falls on leadership. For School Leaders of Color, this leadership imperative is more difficult than it is for their White counterparts. Concomitantly with this leadership necessity are the social and academic disparities of racism, student poverty, lack of resources, just to name a few. Yet these leaders have courageously accepted their role to disrupt low performance and thus they have created environments where students learn and professors teach. These leaders are “purveyors of change.” The purpose of this educational preparation supplemental text is to share stories of these exceptional leaders in the field and in the academy.The experiences shared by the various authors cover four important areas in leadership: Culture & Climate; Student Success; Resilience, Persistence, & Turnaround; and Social Justice. The authors have shared some deeply personal issues and triumphs. These are the stories that resonate more deeply with students and that with these types of stories, the theory to practice bridge is successfully crossed. While many of the chapters include narratives of resilience and triumph in the context of the P-12 education system, the overarching themes and suggestions can be transmuted to any industry.

Effective leadership is the necessary ingredient in achieving educational improvement in schools; everything rises and falls on leadership. For School Leaders of Color, this leadership imperative is more difficult than it is for their White counterparts. Concomitantly with this leadership necessity are the social and academic disparities of racism, student poverty, lack of resources, just to name a few. Yet these leaders have courageously accepted their role to disrupt low performance and thus they have created environments where students learn and professors teach. These leaders are “purveyors of change.” The purpose of this educational preparation supplemental text is to share stories of these exceptional leaders in the field and in the academy.The experiences shared by the various authors cover four important areas in leadership: Culture & Climate; Student Success; Resilience, Persistence, & Turnaround; and Social Justice. The authors have shared some deeply personal issues and triumphs. These are the stories that resonate more deeply with students and that with these types of stories, the theory to practice bridge is successfully crossed. While many of the chapters include narratives of resilience and triumph in the context of the P-12 education system, the overarching themes and suggestions can be transmuted to any industry.

Leading in the Midst of it All: Surviving and Thriving Through COVID-19 and Racial Reckonings centers educators of color—both P-12 and Higher Education—during national pandemics and political, civil, and racial unrest.This volume offers firsthand experiences of recognizing and addressing inequities and their impact on communities. It shares how educators of color led amidst competing pandemics while serving their schools, communities, and families. The authors provide practical insights for P-12 educators and Higher Educators on addressing disparities in remote instruction, hiring, retention, and development, while creating inclusive and engaging virtual and hybrid schooling experiences.Leading in the Midst of it All highlights the necessity for human resource personnel, school leadership programs, superintendents, college presidents, provosts, and boards to value the lived experiences of educators of color and provide intentional support.The book is divided into four sections. Section I focuses on the experiences of teachers of color, detailing the impacts of COVID-19 on marginalized communities. Section II centers on school leadership, particularly leaders of color, as they navigate their roles amidst social inequities. Section III engages the narratives of central office personnel of color, emphasizing the value of revolutionary voices to disrupt inequitable ideologies. Section IV provides details on policy, practice, and partnership transformation methods that empower sustainability for practitioners and researchers.The chapters in this book capture the daily challenges of leading amidst pandemics, fear, unrest, and uncertainty.