Principals don’t always get deep training on how to address inequities in schools before they start the job. And districts are still working out how to fill that gap.
Jennifer Clayton, an associate professor of educational leadership and administration at George Washington University, examined a professional development program to help principals become better equity leaders in five Virginia districts. The program was a partnership with the districts and a local university, none of which were named in the study.
The observations and responses from the principal-participants, published in the Journal of Educational Administration, give some insights into what can help principals become more skilled at identifying inequities in their schools and devising strategies to address them.
Per the article:
"The program itself included opportunities for personal reflection and practical strategies that principals could implement immediately—helping to address a common shortcoming in PD, which is that it can be heavily theoretical and far removed from the practical realities of educators’ daily lives. The program also required that principals tackle an equity-related concern in their schools, and provided chances for them to get feedback from colleagues."
"Research on effective school leadership has touted the important role that peer networks play in helping school leaders deal with the isolation of the job. That’s also the case with equity. Principals in the program highlighted how they relied on fellow participants for support and learning. Those relationships became even more vital during the pandemic, Clayton said. While some principals said they had initial misgivings , the common themes, and, as one principal put it, “the authenticity” of the participants, helped their growth."