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

2. Myth, Fairytale and Educational Equity Carolyn M. Shields Wayne State University, Detroit MI

3. Challenge your beliefs, values, assumptions, practices

4. Education for All?

5. 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

6. 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)

7. The Procrustean Bed

8. One Size Fits All…  Ignoring a student’s lived reality

9. Gabriel

10. Adapt the Institution …not the student

11. Deficit Thinking  From Elementary School to University  Pervasive Want a free ride Unmotivated Don’t care Lazy

12. Start From Student  Differentiate between minority and minoritized  Acknowledge lived experience  Recognize strengths  Develop positive relationships  Hold to high standards

13. Lessons from Procrustes  One size does not fit all.  We must adapt the institution and not the student  We must reject deficit thinking.

14. FairyTale: Princess and the Pea  Searched for a real princess  Great storm  Bedraggled young woman  Put her to the test  Marriage

15. 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.

16. Looking for Perfection  Performance, appearance, speech, behavior

17. Make the rules explicit  Lisa Delpit … Make rules explicit  Be explicit about how to ask for help …  Do not expect perfection.

18. Understand & address …  Misplaced assumptions  Gabriel  Internalized others’ “deficit thinking”  Found a persistent advocate  His experience should not be the norm.

19. Opportunity vs Ability Opportunity to Learn Ability to Learn cshields@wayne.edu

20. Challenge Assumptions  Reject assumptions based on appearances  Reject prejudice and discrimination  Overcome institutional racism  Engage in dialogue; never ignore opportunities

21. Giving Inappropriate Tests  Admissions and placement tests  From primary grades to Higher Education

22. Appropriate Assessments  Open/closed book  Timed  Formal English  Acknowledge stereotype threat

23. 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

24. Acting on Misinformation They lived happily ever after Or did they?

25. The Future  Graduation rates  Retention rates  Employment /unemployment  Incarceration  Health and Well Being

26. The Outcome Now : Working on Master’s degree Position in IT Highly successful

27. Remember Procrustes  One size does not fit all– differentiate everything  Adapt the institution not the student  Reject deficit thinking

28. Transformative Leadership  Mandate--deep and equitable change  Deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge frameworks  Focus--democracy, equity, and justice  Address the inequitable distribution of power

29. 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

30. Transformative Leadership  Private and public good  Interdependence, inter-connectedness, and global awareness  Balance critique with promise  Exhibit moral courage. (Shields, 2011, 2012)

31. And Finally: Think of Gabriel  Become an advocate  Build relationships  Make learning relevant  Encourage  Support  Hold to high expectations

32. Education represents opportunity. (UNESCO)

33. Thank You!

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