Critical Leadership Praxis for Educational and Social Change

Educational leaders confront instances of inequity every day, whether they are aware of it or not. Many find themselves inadequately reacting to such issues due in part to traditional preparation programs that fail to interrogate the existence and impact of systems of oppression. Why is naming and tackling inequity not at the forefront of every conversation about educational leadership? How do our social constructions of identity hierarchies and deficits (mis)shape what leaders think and do? How do leaders advocate for those who need and deserve advocacy? This volume considers these questions and more by offering unique leadership frameworks that integrate critical theories for social change with everyday practice. By bringing together diverse researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who are often pushed to the margins, this volume will help today's leaders see with new eyes and gain the critical tools, language, and concepts for equity leadership. The text is organized into four sections: Transforming Self, Transforming Educators, Transforming Organizations, and Transforming Systems.Book Features:Interrupts prevailing practices and advocates for a more inclusive, intersectional vision of leaders and the field of educational leadership.Specific and useful frames, concepts, and practices that leaders can adapt to their own context.Authors that reflect diverse perspectives with wide-ranging identities who intentionally push back against the White male-dominated discourse.A practitioner-friendly format that includes glossaries of terms and resources. Insights that reflect the worldwide pandemic crises of 2020.

"This collection from editors Pak (School District of Philadelphia) and Ravitch (Univ. of Pennsylvania) is yet another volume in the field of leadership literature, nobly focused on the emboldened theme of leadership in a hurting world. Such a theme could not be timelier nor more important than today."--CHOICE, "Overall, Critical Leadership Praxis for Educational and Social Change achieves an often hard-to-reach balance between practical and theoretical perspectives of critical and equitable leadership, and can thereby serve as a valuable resource for those unfamiliar with critical perspectives of schools as well as academics who are looking to add to their theoretical 'toolbox' or are searching for a book to use for curricular and programmatic work on equitable leadership practices. This book also serves well the authors' purpose as 'an urgent call to action' for educators to reflect and counteract inequity in schools, and is a must-read for leaders and researchers interested in this work."--Teachers College Record

Katie Pak is a school improvement and data specialist with the School District of Philadelphia where she also provides leadership and support in the District's newly formed Equity Coalition. Sharon M. Ravitch is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education where she co-founded the Inter-American Educational Leadership Network for leaders across the Americas.