On Leadership: So you hired an equity leader. Now what?

Abstract

Across the country, many school districts are now creating new staff positions with titles like Chief Equity Officer and Director of Equity and Diversity, notes PDK’s CEO Joshua Starr. That’s a positive step, suggesting a new level of commitment to meeting the needs of all students. However, serving as a school system’s equity leader can be difficult and lonely work, and it’s important that superintendents define the job, and its scope of responsibilities, in ways that allow people to succeed in the role.

The Rise of the School District Chief Equity Officer: Moving Beyond Mimetic Isomorphism and Promoting Anti-Racist Systemic Change

“…They need their own budget and staff, too, including people with expertise in data analysis, policy, legal issues, curriculum and instruction, and student and community engagement. A serious commitment to equity and social justice requires working across all of these areas (Starr, 2020).…”

“…Given the growing numbers of chief equity officers (Starr, 2020), educational leadership and teacher training programs should not only consider the opportunity to prepare future chief equity officers, but also continue to build on existing efforts to prepare anti-racist, equity-oriented principals, superintendents, teachers, and other educational leaders. Although chief equity officers have a specific named position within the district, their work requires an organizational commitment, and principals, superintendents, teachers, and other educational leaders are integral to organizational change for EDI.…”

“…The creation of an explicit role dedicated to EDI reinforces the concerns raised in the K-12 leadership literature related to the limitations of leadership preparation programs, particularly in regards to anti-racism (e.g., Diem et al, 2019; Gooden & Dantley, 2012; Gooden et al, 2018; Miller, 2021; Young & Laible, 2000). Similar to higher education literature and the educational literature on other leadership roles in school districts, the work of chief equity officers is described as “isolating” (Samuels, 2019) or “lonely” (Starr, 2020).…”

“…In response to various challenges and a commitment to equity district-wide, specifically for students from minoritized and marginalized backgrounds, a growing number of local school districts have added a position to the superintendent's cabinet, often titled “chief equity officer” (Samuels, 2019). While the exact titles may vary (Starr, 2020) (see, e.g., Orange County Schools in Hillsborough, NC—Chief Equity Officer, Fort Worth Independent School District in Fort Worth, TX—Chief of Equity and Excellence, and Sommerville Public Schools in Sommerville, MA—Director for Equity and Excellence), these cabinet-level district leaders are typically charged with a range of objectives related to a focus on equity-oriented leadership and instructional practices, structures across the organization of the district and its schools, and district policies that need to be developed, instituted, or changed to shift the culture and behavior in the district away from pervasive racism and toward an equitable learning environment for Black and brown students and families. Similar positions can also be found in the organizational charts of local nonprofits (e.g., the YWCA in Lancaster, PA), city governance (see, e.g., Tucson, AZ and Loudon County, VA), and in the health sector (see e.g., the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Cambridge Health Alliance, and Columbia University), which signals a renewed effort for public and service sector institutions to better meet the needs of all members living in a democratic society.…”

“…The formal role or position of chief equity officer is increasingly being introduced and incorporated in senior administrative levels across the public sector, specifically in education (Samuels, 2019; Starr, 2020). For example, in 2016, Dr. SeriaShia Chatters, a professor at The Pennsylvania State University, joined the State College Area School District in Central Pennsylvania as the Director of Equity and Inclusivity in a unique joint position that reflected her scholarship and leadership related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).…”