(Re) Situating Commonwealth: Educational Leadership at a Time of Demographic Change June 7, 2014

Myth, Fairytale and Educational Equity Carolyn M. Shields Wayne 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 ride Unmotivated Don’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  Gabriel  Internalized others’ “deficit thinking”  Found a persistent advocate  His experience should not be the norm.

Opportunity vs Ability Opportunity to Learn Ability to Learn

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 perfection  Build 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 advocate  Build relationships  Make learning relevant  Encourage  Support  Hold to high expectations

Education represents opportunity. (UNESCO)

Thank You!

Differentiate …  Assignments Readings  Timelines  Tests  But not expectations or standards.