(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.

Opportunity vs Ability

Opportunity to Learn Ability to Learn

cshields@wayne.edu

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.