K12 Racial Equity Leadership Practice Brief

For School Leaders

THE BRIEF

How Can K-12 Leaders Advance Racial Equity Efforts in the Face of Book Bans and Censorship Measures?

Confronting the Challenges of Advancing Racial Equity in K-12 Schools

 

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ABOUT

In our first K-12 practice brief, we offer eight practical strategies school leaders can employ when navigating challenges of advancing racial equity in K-12 schools.

The high-leverage leadership practices presented in this brief are based on our observations leaders who have successfully led meaningful change in their organizations, despite the growing challenges in K-12 schools in implementing racial equity efforts.

About the Authors

Meet the K-12 Program Leaders at the USC Race and Equity Center

  • Associate Director, K12 Programs USC Race and Equity Center

    Adjunct Assistant Professor, USC Rossier School of Education

    Erica Silva is the Associate Director of K-12 Programs at the USC Race & Equity Center where she coordinates and leads professional development with schools and districts across the country. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the USC Rossier School of Education where teaches courses for pre-service teachers on instructional technology and educational equity. Erica has worked for the past decade as a teacher and as an instructional specialist where she trained and worked with teachers on district-wide curriculum implementation, assessment development, technology integration, and culturallyresponsive pedagogy.

  • Chief Academic Officer, USC Race and Equity Center

    Professor of Clinical Education, USC Rossier School of Education

    John Pascarella III is Professor of Clinical Education in the USC Rossier School of Education and Chief Academic Officer of USC Race and Equity Center, where he leads the academic development of equity leadership academies for K-12 leaders and educators that focus on combating institutional, structural, systemic, cultural, and individual racism in K-12 schools. Prior to his appointment at USC, he was a high school English Language Arts and Literature teacher in New Jersey and served as an Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University, a Course Lecturer at McGill University, and a Visiting Researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The observations and inquiry tools presented in this brief are the product of the faculty and staff who worked for the USC Race and Equity Center from 2022 to 2023. The work presented here evolved over time in response to what we learned from engaging K-12 leaders across the country and from extensive research on race, racism, and racial equity. We especially thank Carolina Mendez-Ortiz, Carla Moraru, and Brenda Sanchez, who served as Student Associates at the Center. We give thanks to the Tongva, Gabrieleño, and Kizh people, along with other indigenous tribal communities in Southern California, who continue to be stewards of the land we occupy and its natural resources, even in the face of misuse and continued oppression.