The success of our nation’s democracy depends upon the ability of its people to be informed and actively engaged in our own governance. To realize the full potential of our nation’s democracy, then, we must tap the full potential of every person—their interests, gifts and visions for the future of our world. Starting early, in our schools. 

Despite the vast and varied efforts, programs and mandates that students, parents, teachers, administrators, schools, districts, school boards, and state and federal governments put forth, educational inequities persist. When looking at state achievement data, it’s easier to focus on the fact that achievement has gone up on average for all students in English and mathematics. But “on average” begs the question—is there an equitable distribution of those gains?

The answer remains the same as it has for decades: our underserved student populations—low-income students, English Learners, African American students, Hispanic students, Native American students, LGBTQIA students and those with documented disabilities—continue to show less growth than their peers. Why?

At CLEE we believe that systems are designed to get the results they produce. Currently, our educational system is designed to maintain systemic inequities. Additionally, the legacy of racial segregation, under-resourcing, non-English language suppression and low expectations for underserved students has left us with an immense task—to disrupt and redesign this system toward equity and excellence for all students. This is the work of the 21st century educator and school leader. 

CLEE believes that what has been labeled as “predictable” outcomes for our underserved students can and must be disrupted. To do so, educators must first recognize and understand the undercurrent of inequities in American education, many of which revolve around race. Dismantling racism, then, is key for equity to happen.  

The reoccuring trauma of racism has  a profound impact on how race and systemic oppression is discussed. But dialogue–in safe, transparent, courageous environments–is necessary in order to identify and understand why some students benefit from the way our schools have been organized and by whom and how curriculum has been taught, while other students do not. Too often,  those who do not benefit remain students of color. 

As Gloria Ladson Billings asserts, “We do not have an achievement gap; we have an education debt” (2006, pg.5). This debt, she explains, links back to slavery, when Black men, women and children were denied education along with their freedom and economic compensation for their labor. In terms of education, “progress” meant segregated schools, which legally ended in 1954, but statistics show the prevalence of segregation continuing today–between districts, schools and classrooms–across the nation. 

Another addition to the education debt owed to not only our Black students, but all of our students of color, is that while studies show students perform better when taught by teachers of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, only 5% of teachers in CLEE’s home state are of color (LPI, 2017). Teachers of color are attuned to the barriers that their students of color face, and, more importantly, the cultural capital and tools students of color bring to the classroom (Hammond, 2015). 

In order to better understand their students from various backgrounds, White teachers must purposefully learn about, not just their students, but also their own race and culture. And examine how their whiteness shapes their own identity, perceptions, bias (both conscious and subconscious) and ultimately their teaching and classroom management philosophies. Such reflection, combined with culturally responsive teaching, will benefit all learners (adults included!), while accelerating the learning of our historically underserved students.  

Disrupting systems of inequity requires that everyone, metaphorically, has a seat at the table (Taylor, 2017). The opportunity to have a voice and participate in conversations that have an impact on one’s life is at the crux of equity. It takes courageous leadership to make space for every voice, surrendering inherited power and privilege with the focus on listening to those whose experiences are currently muted. At CLEE, we believe that leaders at every level and in every facet of education—from teachers, resource providers, and administrators to students and parents—can be leaders for increasing equity of voice and excellence for all learners.  We believe that skilled leaders are not born, but developed through powerful learning. That such complex learning and leading is not a solo act. That working together we can do better than the best one of us alone on their best day. These are the tenets of what we call “facilitative leadership.” 

Rooted in our beliefs, CLEE programs and research go beyond teaching educators about how, in theory, strong leadership can beneficially shake up school cultures and positively impact student learning. CLEE school leaders develop the skills, knowledge and dispositions of facilitative leadership, when leaders act more like conductors leading a symphony, orchestrating productive learning communities, committed to increasing equity in their schools. 

Knowing that transformative change can be both exciting and intimidating, CLEE leaders work with their learning communities to build a transparent, respectful, and receptive culture where educators are safe to take risks, make mistakes, share successes and learn. To do so, leaders ground their teams in a shared vision, a commitment to learn and change, and the belief that all learners—educators and students—can excel at high levels. 

Building this culture of mutual respect and trust requires tapping into and exploring individuals’ identities, backgrounds, passions, hopes and fears—to not only get to know each other, but also begin to value the unique strengths each person brings to the team. As learning communities learn to work together, leveraging their vast and varied experiences and expertise, members begin to seek, rather than resist, differing perspectives. Doing so, they expand and deepen their understanding of the issues they must collectively overcome to increase equity and provide their diverse learners the tools they need for boundless success.

At CLEE, we believe in the power of progress—however small—to dismantle the assumptions (about students, about educators, about the “predictable” patterns of student performance) that hold us back from serving all students and providing equitable pathways to excellence. By building educators’ confidence in their ability to impact their most underserved students, we cultivate vibrant learning environments, wherein all learning, from both failed attempts and successes, is celebrated. 

Our programs and services build this confidence by equipping CLEE school leaders with the research-based, data-driven tools and protocols they need to analyze school data and identify the whole picture surrounding patterns of inequity. During CLEE’s structured professional development sessions, leaders and/or entire learning communities craft action steps to transform their instructional, leadership and whole school practices to increase equity. CLEE leaders return to their classrooms, schools and districts, spreading the momentum toward equity. 

Educational excellence and equity can only be achieved through transforming the instructional core. Our vision of the instructional core is a learning space in which students are joyfully engaged as self-directed and independent leaders of their own learning.  Students are safe and affirmed in an environment that allows them to enact the learner dispositions to take positive risks and struggle productively. They collaborate to pursue the mastery of content, skills and knowledge that are personally meaningful and culturally relevant, and apply their mastery in work that authentically challenges and improves our world for the better.

Educators facilitate this learning by committing to anti-racist and anti-oppression practices that affirm the full and complex identities of their students. They acknowledge the need to relinquish and share power, committing to teaching as a transformative, rather than performative, endeavor. They recognize that rigorous learning is mediated and defined by each student’s different way of knowing and making sense of their world. They create systems of robust and productive feedback that allow both educators and students to monitor their progress towards individual and shared learning goals. They engage students in the collaborative development of a learning environment where students are liberated from the distress of racism, bias, and low expectations, so that they may unleash their unlimited power as learners, human beings, and the designers of our future world.

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools. Educational Researcher. AERA, 35(7), pgs3-12.

Latino Policy Institute (LPI). (2017). Teacher Diversity in Rhode Island. Roger Williams University. Retrieved from: https://www.rwu.edu/sites/default/files/downloads/lpi/f01lpi_tchrdvrstybfld.pdf

Taylor, Regina. (2017).  A Seat at the Table: The Fannie Lou Hamer Story.  The Regina Taylor Project.