The social and cultural contexts of today's schools are diverse in ways that require greater attention to the educational philosophies, epistemologies, and perspectives of school leaders. In those environments where educators are not aptly prepared or willing to meet the sometimes unique needs of students who represent underserved racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, these matters move beyond the personal and become professional, as they are further complicated by high-stakes accountability standards and the prioritization of "closing the achievement gap" in schools and districts. As such, the purpose of this article is to explore more fully the research literature on culturally relevant and antiracist pedagogy in ways that can inform the practice of school leadership and explore the yet-untapped possibilities of speaking across areas of theory, research, and practice within the field of education. Specifically, we offer a framework for culturally relevant leadership that includes the following four dimensions: the political context, a pedagogical approach, a personal journey, and professional duty. Finally, we conclude with implications for research and practice.

Teacher education is replete with an overwhelming presence of Whiteness, a presence that if not explicitly interrogated indefinitely recycles hegemonic Whiteness. Needed are pedagogical strategies that expose the hegemonic invisibility of Whiteness. This critical reflection examines the utilization of digital storytelling by teacher educators of color to pedagogically deconstruct Whiteness in a predominately White, urban-focused teacher education course—a necessary deconstruction if these teacher candidates are to effectively teach urban students of color. Particularly, this article deconstructs four academic years of digital stories produced in a mandatory diversity course in an urban teacher education program and illustrates how digital storytelling itself promotes a critical self-revelation that confront Whiteness in White teacher candidates. The preliminary analyses suggest that digital storytelling is a racially just way of having White teacher candidates self-reflect on their own Whiteness in a multitude of ways, by (a) ending emotional distancing, (b) debunking colorblindness, (c) engaging emotions, and (d) sharing the burden of race.

This review of research investigates how the field of social studies education conceptualizes emotions within its literature. Analysis indicates a lack of theoretical and empirical engagement with emotions, even when the presence of emotions is explicitly acknowledged. Drawing on Michalinos Zembylas's framework for researching emotions in education, the authors reveal multiple conceptions of emotions undergird research and practice, yet these are largely unexamined in the literature. The complicated nature of emotions requires careful attention, and attempting to understand the roles they play in teaching and learning provides significant opportunities for growth in social studies research and practice.It is difficult to ignore the contentious rhetoric that currently frames the local and national political discourse in the United States. In political debates, media reports, tweets, and Facebook updates, Americans are bombarded with venomous and personal attacks made by politicians, reporters, pundits, and friends. How can we, as social studies educators and researchers, prepare teachers, influence curriculum and education policy, and teach students how to meaningfully engage in reasoned deliberations regarding the common good in such a divisive and contentious climate? At the heart of this question is a desire to better understand how we, as citizens and community members, can talk about and better understand our differences. Yet, as the current political Correspondence should be sent to Maia Sheppard, 148 Sheppard et al.climate makes abundantly clear, this is a difficult task. Strong attachments to our values and beliefs, discomfort with uncertainty, and fear of losing power seem to propel us further away from understanding and rational engagement with difference. Emotions play as significant a role in this movement as reason. This complex relationship between emotion, power, identity, and social interaction led us to wonder what roles emotions play in social studies education. And, more specifically to this research, how have we as a community of social studies educators and researchers engaged with or taken account of the role of emotions in teaching and learning social studies in secondary schools and teacher preparation?Stemming from this desire to better understand the relationship between emotions and teaching and learning social studies, this review of the literature in social studies education aims to better understand how those in the field have conceptualized and researched emotions. Our analysis of this literature reveals a significant level of interest in issues (such as empathy and controversy) with strong connections to emotions but a lack of rigorous theoretical or empirical attention to conceptualizing emotions and their role in these issues and in social studies education more broadly.Our interest in how emotions are conceptualized in social studies research and practice stems from our experiences as classroom teachers and work as educational researchers. We have individually and collectively re...

Policy making can be viewed as a large-scale attempt at social justice leadership intended to address vast inequities that persist and are perpetuated in the U.S. K-12 education system. The study examines the text of the Minnesota Desegregation Rule to discern its underlying discourses as they relate to race, racism, and social justice. The findings highlight discursive practices that undermine social justice progress and antiracist efforts, demonstrating how well-intended social justice efforts can go awry without active engagement of critical lenses. The article argues that critical consciousness and racial literacy are essential in social justice and antiracist policy making and educational leadership.

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