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(Re) Situating Commonwealth: Educational Leadership
at a Time of Demographic Change
June 7, 2014
Myth, Fairytale and Educational Equity
Carolyn M. ShieldsWayne State University, Detroit MI
Challenge your beliefs, values, assumptions, practices
Education for All?
Theoretical Perspectives
Oakes & Rogers (2006) –reject technical reforms and call for equity reform
Social justice – almost meaningless Transformative Leadership Origins: Burns 1978 Foster 1986 Quantz, Rogers, Dantley, 1991 Blackmore, 2011 2000s many scholars
Transformative Leadership
Mandate--deep and equitable change Deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge
frameworks Focus--democracy, equity, and justice Address the inequitable distribution of power Private and public good Interdependence, inter-connectedness, and global
awareness. Balance critique with promise Exhibit moral courage. (Shields, 2011, 2012)
The Procrustean Bed
One Size Fits All…
Ignoring a student’s lived reality
Gabriel
Adapt the Institution
…not the student
Deficit Thinking
From Elementary School to University Pervasive
Want a free rideUnmotivatedDon’t care Lazy
Start From Student
Differentiate between minority and minoritized
Acknowledge lived experience Recognize strengths Develop positive relationships Hold to high standards
Lessons from Procrustes
One size does not fit all. We must adapt the institution and not the
student We must reject deficit thinking.
FairyTale: Princess and the Pea
Searched for a real princess
Great storm Bedraggled young
woman Put her to the test Marriage
Lessons
The prince was looking for perfection.
He made assumptions based on appearance.
Gave a totally inappropriate test. Acted on the results of a misaligned test.
Looking for Perfection
Performance, appearance, speech, behavior
Make the rules explicit
Lisa Delpit … Make rules explicit Be explicit about how to ask for help … Do not expect perfection.
Understand & address …
Misplaced assumptions GabrielInternalized others’ “deficit thinking” Found a persistent advocateHis experience should not be the norm.
Challenge Assumptions
Reject assumptions based on appearances Reject prejudice and discrimination Overcome institutional racism Engage in dialogue; never ignore
opportunities
Giving Inappropriate Tests
Admissions and placement tests From primary grades to Higher Education
Appropriate Assessments
Open/closed book Timed Formal English Acknowledge stereotype threat
Miller analogies
CUBISM : PICASSO :: (____) : DALI Romanticism, Classicism, Realism ,
Surrealism
(____) is to PUCCINI as SCULPTURE is to OPERA Cellini , Rembrandt, Wagner, Petrarch
MAUNA LOA : ETNA :: HAWAII : (____) Sicily , Alps, Crete, Bosporus
Acting on Misinformation
• They lived happily ever after • Or did they?
The Future
Graduation rates Retention rates Employment /unemployment Incarceration Health and Well Being
The Outcome
Now : Working on
Master’s degree Position in IT Highly
successful
Remember Procrustes One size does not fit all–
differentiate everything
Adapt the institution not the student
Reject deficit thinking
Transformative Leadership
Mandate--deep and equitable change Deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge
frameworks Focus--democracy, equity, and justice Address the inequitable distribution of power
And The Princess and the Pea …Hold high expectations but do
not expect perfectionBuild relationships - do not
make assumptions based on appearance
“Test” appropriately Ensure equity of opportunity
and outcomes – do not misalign data
Transformative Leadership
Private and public good Interdependence, inter-connectedness, and global
awareness Balance critique with promise Exhibit moral courage. (Shields, 2011, 2012)
And Finally: Think of Gabriel Become an advocateBuild relationshipsMake learning relevantEncourage SupportHold to high
expectations
Education represents opportunity. (UNESCO)
Thank You!
Differentiate …
Assignments Readings
Timelines Tests
But not expectations or standards.
