In spring 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic collided with a national reckoning on racial injustice and ruptured our country's core. The effects of this collision necessitated something other than business as usual in school leadership: it called for the kind of courageous leadership rooted in equity and justice we describe in this paper. In this…

In middle grades education, advisory programs are structured, intentional, and supportive environments that assign 10 to 20 students to an adult advisor (most often a teacher) who serves as a mentor, advocate, and guide throughout their middle school years. Advisory programs promote community and personalized support in middle schools. In addition…

The author envisions a democratic school as one committed to human dignity, a common good, social justice, and equity. It is also committed to creative individuality in which people have the right to think for themselves, to be fully informed about the important issues of the day, to hold beliefs of their own choosing, to have a say in what and…

The purpose of this study was to provide insight to the lived advocacy experiences of principals and school counselors who received state and/or national recognition for their work on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. I identified three themes and related subthemes regarding the meaning derived across the…

Although professional organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) continue to push for the role of equity inside of mathematics classrooms, the need for culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) remains just as necessary today as it has for the last two decades. In this study, the authors share ways in which one…

The purpose of this article is to examine the leadership beliefs and practices of three school leaders in a large urban school district in the Rocky Mountain West to determine whether any are consistent with transformative leadership. We sought to (a) describe the challenges faced by these school leaders in addressing the needs of changing…

The current study examined the role formal leaders can play in creating routines and practices to foster and sustain organizational leadership of equity-focused teams of educators, parents, and students in schools. Using a case study methodology, we explored how a Black female K-8 school leader steeped in social justice leadership work and a white…

In "A Single Garment", Genevieve Siegel-Hawley explores the leadership, policies, and practices that support contemporary school integration. Drawing on a wide range of sources, as well as her own experience as a parent, former student, and teacher, Siegel-Hawley provides a richly layered account of four Richmond, Virginia schools, each…

The purpose of this research was to explore how the personal and professional experiences of school leaders strengthened or hindered their ability to engage in social justice leadership to advance educational equity and encourage culturally proficient practices in their schools. I employed a descriptive multi-case study and the research was viewed…

Despite efforts made by educators and policymakers, disproportionality in special education and discipline persists for low-income, African American students. Through the lens of Multicultural Counseling Theory (MCT), this quantitative study investigated the likelihood of school counselors recommending students for advanced and remedial…

This inquiry sought to construct meaning using an invitational leadership lens in relation to how Principals are prepared to lead in schools with diverse student populations. Data revealed Principals' perceptions about preparation related to invitational leadership emphasized contradictions between Principals' inviting-oriented rhetoric and their…

This study examined how four principals in urban middle and senior high schools with a social justice orientation responded to hypothetical scenarios involving teacher prejudice. The principals in this study did not reference their leadership preparation programs in describing the evolution of their equity-focused leadership philosophies, nor did…

Across the United States, schools are implementing Restorative Practices (RP) to improve school climate and address disparities in discipline. The scope of such RP initiatives can remain ambiguous to school leaders. Given the need for greater clarity about RP initiatives, the current study sought to identify the varying components of RP…

This Chicana Critical Feminist Testimonio reveals a Mexican/Mexican-American Ethic of Care and Testimonios of struggle and survival informing curriculum and pedagogy of one Mexican/Mexican-American female educator of predominantly Mexican/Mexican-American students. This work is part of a larger ethnographic study conducted through multiple…

The theme for the 62nd annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers was Educating for a Just Society. Connie Briggs, previous Program Chair, reminded us that, "Education has always been the foundation of a democratic nation. It is important that our students understand the principles upon which our nation was…