In this article, we outline some of the vital measurements of racism and anti-blackness as a macro system in education. We contend that principal preparation programs have not explicitly prioritized anti-racist school leadership, while often resisting the possibilities of solidarity or one mic of knowledge to increase anti-racist dispositions. Considering the lexicon of whiteness as an assemblage, a racial discourse should be “supported by material practices and institutions,” that prepare educational leaders to examine anti-blackness curriculum that have been embedded as a standard method. We also posit that theoretical understanding of racism as global whiteness from a post-oppositional lens and decoloniality that will challenge the way racism is currently referenced in educational leadership scholarship. Moreover, current global and decolonial research gives way for a new vision of solidarity by humanizing scholarly resistance that cultivates a vision of community that regards differences of knowledge across groups and investigates racist policies and practices in educational leadership programs.

To collectively engage future administrators in reforming culturally responsive practices that have been traditionally understood from socially just approaches, principal preparation programs must embed curricula that is utilized beyond the classroom. In this article, I reflect on the rap group Migos’ popularized phrase “do it for the culture” and contend that doing it for culturally responsive leadership will carry out actions that benefit the shared culture of teaching and learning that represents all teachers and students equitably. A consistent idea that permeates within the field is that a course(s) will prescribe the adequate tools on what to do instead of how to be cultural responsible. Utilizing the role of reflexivity, this case study offered six themes that stemmed from session discussions. The themes that arose were: (1) Interpretations of Cultural Responsiveness, (2) Culturally responsive is what you are not what you do, (3) Self-identity is recognized, (4) Learned the community diversity, (5) Celebrate all, and (6) Practice by disruption. The personal reflections illuminate the significance of relationships between the faculty researcher, future administrators, communities, the effortless disposition of the insider-researcher, and the intricacy of developing the narrative research that promotes culturally responsiveness.

Students across the nation are encountering more and more difficulties in their transition to high school. Not only are a significant number of students dropping out, but those who stay are also leaving high school without the skills they need to become productive citizens. Several intervention strategies are recommended to help students make a successful transition. From better academic preparation to structural reforms, probably all of them are needed and have an important place. In 2008, central office administrators and principals of a New Jersey school district, gathered to brainstorm about methods of early intervention strategies. The middle and secondary school principals recognized and agreed on the urgency to address these strategies by collecting data and searching for possible solutions. This article discusses the use of student data to develop a warning system, an "at risk" indicator for the 2008-2009 freshman class in one of New Jersey's school districts.

Purpose – Program efficacy and outcomes can often be determined through an examination of collaborative activities between and among inner city school districts with high dropout rates and private, public, and nonprofit organizations. Kettl (2004) adeptly describes additional collaborative practice trends that not only transform governance structures, but blurs the line between and among sectors. These trends illuminate the need for governmental agencies to collaborate with nonprofit and for-profit organizations to address “wicked problems” where no single organization has sufficient resources and the consequences are enormous. The paper aims to discuss theses issues. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing a quantitative approach, this research compares the efficacy of a newly developed collaborative alternative education program to existing programs in New Jersey's Newark Public Schools during 2008-2009. Findings – The results indicate that the overall performance of the students enrolled in the new research models is significantly higher than in the existing program due to incentives and not administrative collaboration. Research limitations/implications – Implications for future research include: first, the need for studies to reveal enduring, universal effects of collaboration; second, longitudinal studies of the effects of collaboration on alternative education issues; and third, an evaluation of the effectiveness of collaborative training. Originality/value – This research intends to contribute to the literature concerning these distinctive types of partnerships – specifically the integration of three very different systems into a collaborative service. This single case study presents support of how these services subsist within four settings and what force they have on special services for students in alternative education in the public schools.

Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the disparities of healthcare for Black and Brown communities, the tragic and senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Rashard Brooks took place before we were halfway into 2020. Furthermore, while Black deaths at the hands of police are the highest rate compared to all groups, Latinos follow right behind at almost twice the rate compared to Whites, which highlight how both Black and Brown communities face the same crisis and oppression, and both face the greater need for solidarity. Reflecting on a recent historical period of our socio-political culture, this article endeavors to expose how the media’s influence has amplified the need to reignite a rallying cry of race and identities across the globe. Utilizing our educational backgrounds and classroom experiences, we examine what can be learned by amplifying the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy and solidarity through the lens of Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It series on Netflix. We specifically explore the oneness of Black and Brown people and highlight how solidarity is key for upliftment and well-being.