The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Seven keys to equity, social justice and school reform

The School Leaders Our Children Deserve: Seven Keys to Equity, Social Justice, and School Reform

Think back to why you became a teacher or a school administrator. Likely you wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth. Regardless of whether you were motivated to make a difference or you’re hoping to regain your enthusiasm for teaching and leading, then this book by George Theoharis is a must-read.

Theoharis, associate professor in the School of Education, Syracuse University, is passionate about social justice and describes his own experiences in his book—he has extensive experience as a teacher, administrator and principal in the Madison Metropolitan School District.

The School Leaders Our Children Deserve: Seven Keys to Equity, Social Justice, and School Reform will help teachers and administrators add value to the school community and the educational experience of staff, students and parents. The beliefs and practices described in Theoharis’s book can transform your school into a place where future citizens of the world are nurtured.

Theoharis identifies important strategies for administrators to further their school’s social justice agenda. He believes that the knowledge, skills and attributes that principals develop as instructional leaders will guide them as they take leadership to the next level and implement a vision for social justice in their schools.

What are the seven keys to equity, social justice and school reform?

1. Acquire a broad, reconceptualized, consciousness/knowledge/skills base to increase access, improve teaching and curriculum, and create a climate of belonging.
2. Possess core leadership traits, including “arrogant humility, passionate vision and a tenacious commitment to justice.”
3. Advance inclusion, access and opportunity for all by removing structures that separate or marginalize students so that everyone can access rich curriculum and instruction.
4. Improve the core learning setting—both the teaching and the curriculum—by treating teaching staff as capable professionals and giving them a voice in professional decision making.
5. Create a climate of belonging that is warm and welcoming to all students and to marginalized families, and incorporate social responsibility in the curriculum.
6. Raise student achievement and narrow the achievement gap of marginalized students without “quick fixes or scripted programs.”
7. Sustain oneself professionally and personally with a “ring of resilience”—build networks of like-minded administrators while maintaining social and family supports.

One helpful section highlights barriers to implementing social justice agendas. This section will be particularly useful to administrators, because it recognizes that the resistance often faced by administrators is a normal part of the school transformation process. The section also stresses the importance of administrators attending to their own well-being.

The author has set himself an ambitious task with this book. Although literature and research on teaching social justice are readily available, there is little information to assist administrators who are leading their schools toward a social justice agenda.

It is important for readers to note the differences between the schools in the American education system that Theoharis describes and Alberta’s public education system. Alberta’s education system is much stronger than education systems in many US states. The Alberta curriculum clearly outlines what teachers must teach in various subjects at various grade levels. Teachers are not left on their own to develop curricula. As well, Alberta schools are not inclined to gather or report data based on gender, race, language or socioeconomic levels.

Although there are differences with respect to diversity between US and Alberta schools, there’s little doubt that student diversity in Alberta schools has increased significantly over the past years. Teachers are seeing a greater inclusion of students with special needs into regular classrooms and are experiencing growing cultural diversity (language and race) and increased gender identity issues.

A foundation of an effective democracy is a strong public education system. It is where students learn and develop values essential to creating and maintaining a just and democratic society. Theoharis believes that social justice will become the next focus of public schools, and his book is both a story about and a manual for achieving just that. I urge all school leaders and teachers to read this book.

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Catherine Moir is a former ATA executive staff officer in Professional Development.