Given the current, contested political climate, growing school-community inequities, and a renewed commitment to equity and justice in the National Education Leadership Preparation standards, aspiring educational leaders need practical approaches to leading school communities toward equitable outcomes. This conceptual article offers a comprehensive and practical approach for responsible community engagement for educational leaders. The authors outline a model that provides key examples of how contemporary educational leaders might begin: listening, engaging, advocating, and partnering with community-based assets to improve the outcomes of historically disenfranchised students. This scholarship concludes with implications for leadership preparation programs and aspiring educational leaders.

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This article utilizes a qualitative case study methodology informed by a Black feminist theoretical lens to explore the experiences of Black women teachers, administrative support, and teacher turnover. Five self-identified Black women teachers discuss the impact that school leaders have on their decisions to leave their schools. Three common leadership practices emerged as contributory factors that influence teacher turnover: (a) arresting social justice efforts, (b) insufficient support for discipline, and (c) relationships with administration. This article concludes with a discussion about the requisite school leader philosophical orientations that support the unique needs of Black women teachers.

Research on the merit of school tracking policies has long been at the center of heated educational debate.  Unfortunately, while the trend in studies looking at tracking in schools has continued, the student perspective has been underutilized in much of this previous research.  Recently, however, there has been a surge in research that focuses on the benefits of student-centered research This research recognizes the legitimacy of student perspectives in reform efforts.  This paper focuses on the student perspectives in a qualitative project with seven black students to understand the insights and contributions they have for school leaders. Findings revealed that students can contribute nuanced perspectives on complex educational reform issues, such as tracking, and provide powerful insights that should be considered in school reform conversations.

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