Leadership development was a crucial component of early efforts to building a mass education system in the United States, particularly in the South following the Civil War. And today that work is equally crucial to addressing inequities in our current system and ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education. Perhaps even more so. Our nation is primed for a reset of public education based on the lessons we are learning in this time of pandemic and we need leaders committed to equity to help steer that reset.

School leaders – principals, assistant principals, faculty chairs, school board members, and others – all play a critical and indispensable role in the attainment and continuation of equitable education practices. The work of recognizing inequity and then developing, advancing, executing, and adhering to an effective and comprehensive plan to address those inequities is all in the hands of school leaders. That includes ensuring that curricula are academically rigorous, inclusive, and anti-racist.

A strong leader deeply embraces the critical connection between education and opportunity in this country. In the South, that connection has been particularly stark as people who were enslaved were legally prohibited from learning. My grandfather, the grandson of enslaved Africans, was passionate about education. He constantly reminded us to “learn, read.” The connection between lack of education and enslavement was strong in his mind.

Read the full article about leaders for educational equity by Raymond Pierce at Forbes.