Building an Equity Mindset for an Inclusive School Culture

Overview

Effective principals create a responsive and inclusive school culture that puts the varied needs of diverse stakeholders at the center of the school program. Research confirms that building a reflective school culture focused on continuous growth that advances equity for historically underserved students is among the strategies that have the greatest impact on accelerating student learning and are also the most labor intensive for principals (McQueen, 2021). Within this topic, BetterLesson Coaches will use the Communities of Practice (COP) principles to lead principals in understanding and evaluating their role in advocating for educational equity at the campus level.

Audience

This coaching experience is designed for early (1-3 years) and aspiring principals aiming to strengthen their leadership practice. 

Specifications

• Virtual Group Coaching
• 2-hour monthly Community of Practice(COP) group experience followed by 1:1 coaching sessions
• Up to 15 participants per cohort
• Principal Cohorts based on district selection
• Participants will need a camera, microphone, and a Zoom-enabled device

Outcome

I can consistently use equity as a lens to evaluate programming in my leadership practice, mitigate resistance as needed, and enact strategies to ensure equitable outcomes for stakeholders.

Learning Experience

Define

• Define educational equity
• Examine the various types of inequity
• Self-reflect on current practice to determine sources of inequity and ability to respond when observed

Explore

• Collaborate in groups to explore ways to Build Equity Awareness and Capacity as a school leader
• Evaluate and discuss specific strategies to enhance equity-literacy

Build

• Create and share a self-reflection video specifying 1-2 ways to use equity as a lens in practice. 
• Plan to share the reflection video in the Community Discussion Board as a follow-up to the COP to prepare for 1:1 coaching