Interesting Projects and Tools
​​Erica Crane, Ed.D. has developed a journaling system from research and practice, based in liberatory leadership concepts to build necessary habits to lead in educational environments with equity. She created The Principal Journal at the conclusion of her dissertation, selecting impactful readings about developing liberatory-based school programs for daily inspiration. These daily pages allow leaders to consider their basics, especially as the work of equity-based educational leadership becomes more demanding and controversial. It is essential for leaders to take care of themselves, from drinking water to creating manageable priorities. This may sound simple, but the work of leading in community can be overwhelming and take precedence over simple self-preservation and care. Weekly, monthly, and annual pages allow for further tracking of actions and reflection. The journal is in alignment with the concepts of continuous improvement for equity and acts as a resource for scholars and practitioners to consider HOW liberatory work actually happens in schools, day to day. This work has the goal of supporting the best practices in leadership research so they can be enacted sustainably in educational organizations by transformational leaders. She sought to create a tool that could help turn research into practice. Here is a link to learn more about the journal: https://www.audaciouslearner.com/the-principal-journal

​The past seven summers, Dr. Belinda Karge has coordinated a trip to Washington DC for the Concordia University Irvine Policy, Law and Practice in Dynamic Settings course. The time in DC helps students understand the economic, social, legal, political, and cultural contexts impacting educational organizations and practices in the United States (US). Conversations with elected and appointed officials and various organizational staff help provide perspective on policy development. Speaking to US Department of Education elected and appointed officials as well as US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools diplomats give students perspective that they otherwise would not be privy to in their local educational settings. Listening to a staff member at the Department of Education who has worked for seven Presidents is eye opening! A day at the Library of Congress researching a policy issue as well as a visit to the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance are typically on the agenda. These onsite visits and the think tank opportunities for discussion help education leaders determine best practices in carrying out responsibilities and envisioning how they can impact change. If Division A members are interested in doing something similar, they can read https://ccte.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CCTESPAN2020Monograph.pdf for more details or contact Dr. Karge at Belinda.Karge@cui.edu

 
Dr. Hilary Lustick, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, is working on a project titled Uplifting the Voices of Restorative Coordinators. This project utilized surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gain the perspectives of restorative coordinators across the contiguous United States regarding restorative practice implementation. Specifically, they were interested in whether and how restorative practices play a role in schools’ efforts to equitably serve schools that enroll culturally and racially diverse students. This work supports leaders' abilities to meet students' social and emotional needs, create feasible processes for school discipline reform, and become familiar with the dilemmas of restorative justice during their leadership education. To learn more about her work, contact her at ​hilary_lustick@uml.edu.

Recently Published Works

Drs. Judy Cox and Carol Mullen's qualitative interview study examined principals’ instructional actions in rural, high-poverty schools and the perceived impact on student achievement. The published article connects to Division A's goals by mapping how leadership impacts rural, high-poverty schools through principals' instructional leadership practice in Title I settings. Division A members interested in evidence-based practices for improving student learning in under-studied contexts may find this work compelling. Reference: Cox, J. S., & Mullen, C. A. (2023). Impacting student achievement: Principals’ instructional leadership practice in two Title I rural schools. Journal of School Leadership, 33(1), 3-25. doi:10.1177/10526846221133996

​Daphne Warren recently wrote and published a case with Dr. Ericka Roland, assistant professor and Daphne’s dissertation chair at University of Texas at Arlington. The purpose of their scholarly article, Assignment Negotiation: Critical Race Theory and Educational Leadership Preparation Program, was for readers to explore the challenges many faculty experience when they engage with antiracism leadership teaching. This work is part of the Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership Anti-Racist Leadership Special Issue-Invited Authors only publication. Included in this article are Critical Race Theory reading resources, discussion questions, topic related reading resources, and a racial audit activity. Reference: Roland, E., & Warren, D. (2023). Assignment negotiation: Critical race theory and educational leadership preparation program. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership (OnlineFirst). https://doi.org/10.1177/15554589231173356

Looking for Collaborators
Dr. Armen Alvarez, a storyteller & critical discourse scholar, would like to connect with other scholars that are interested in restorative justice for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) understanding their valuable contribution to ways of knowing. Dr. Alvarez's extensive experience in academia includes program development, non-profit administration, faculty roles, academic research, and storytelling to unite students and academic scholars through culture. As a minoritized scholar, she employs Critical Discourse Analysis to dismantle the rhetoric of white settler colonialism, aiming to restore the valuable contributions of BIPOC to ways of knowing. You can find her on Twitter and Linked In, or contact her at ​aalvar7@ilstu.edu

​Dr. Gülnur Ak Küçükçayir is a teacher in Ankara, Turkey. She recently received her Ph.D. from Gazi University. She has developed an interdisciplinary holistic model at the blend of business and human resource management, in addition to the school/education lens, that will contribute to the professional development and training of school leaders. She designed a conceptual framework according to the theory synthesis and tested the model using mixed methods. This model, which can be applied to any professional group, was successful when applied to educational leaders. She presented the theoretical infrastructure of the data collection instruments of this research in a roundtable session at AERA 2021. She is seeking collaborators and would like to be able to apply this research in collaboration with academicians and different education administrators (maybe as a project) in another country. Contact her at ​gulnurka1@gmail.com

Dr. Karis Clarke is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Educational Leadership at Clark Atlanta University who works with leaders in the Educational Leadership Department to prepare them to work in diverse schools locally, nationally, and internationally. Karis is a passionate educator cultivating the growth and development of educators. For 10+ years Karis has driven the development of teacher education with oversight of training programs instructional strategies, curriculum planning, and accreditation.

Publication: Clarke, K. L. (Ed.). (2022). Self-Care and Stress Management for Academic Well-Being. IGI Global.


Summary: Self-care is a topic that is often challenging in education. Educators are required to learn to teach, advise, and cope with organizational change as well as encourage their students to take responsibility for their actions, say no, identify burnout, establish a network of family and friends, schedule breaks, do things they enjoy, and take care of themselves physically. However, teachers often do not follow these guidelines themselves. It is important that teachers allow themselves the time and space to do the same things that they insist their students do. Moreover, it is important that administrators recognize and support these efforts as well. Self-Care and Stress Management for Academic Well-Being discusses why self-care for educators is needed in order for them to sustain the growth of the students at their institutions. It explores the ways in which educators devote themselves to helping students develop their creativity and their academic voices but do not always give themselves the same permission. Covering a range of topics such as physical care, stress, and self-advocacy, this reference work is ideal for researchers, academicians, practitioners, scholars, administrators, instructors, and students.
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Eleanor Su-Keene is faculty in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at Texas A&M University. Her research interests include social justice practices, occupational health, and wellbeing of school leaders. David DeMatthews is an associate professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. His research examines social justice leadership, principal burnout, and turnover and retention with a focus on urban and rural schools serving low-income students of color.

Publication: Su-Keene, E. & DeMatthews, D. (2022) “Savoring” the Joy: Reducing Principal Burnout and Improving Well-Being through Positive Psychology Interventions, The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 95:5, 210- 219. 

Summary: Researchers found that principals were more stressed, burned out, and depressed than your average American worker post-pandemic (Steiner et al., 2022). Widely recognized strategies that support mental health—consistent exercise; healthy, consistent meals; and quality sleep—can be challenging for principals to maintain given their high workloads, long hours, and often inconsistent schedules. In our article, we propose interventions from the field of positive psychology (PPIs) that have been empirically tested and shown to reduce burnout and depressive symptoms and improve wellbeing. We offer these strategies to principals because they are self-administered, relatively quick, and can be easily integrated into a routine. We also provide recommendations for integrating PPIs at the district level. While we recognize that stress and burnout are symptoms of larger systemic issues, we believe it is critical to help principals find joy and sustain themselves in their careers while simultaneously pushing for systems to change.

Follow them on Twitter: @ESuKeene and @DrDeMatt 

Dr. Kris Melloy has been an educational professional for 46 years. Dr. Melloy has served the profession as a classroom teacher, school administrator, university professor, and student success coach.

Publication: Melloy, K. J., Cieminski, A., & Sundeen, T. (2021). Accepting Educational Responsibility: Preparing Administrators to Lead Inclusive Schools. Journal of Research on Leadership Education.

Summary: Educational leaders are expected to lead schools for increased outcomes for all students. Effective leadership of inclusive schools requires certain skills and dispositions. However, many principals do not have a background in special education, and there is criticism that educational leadership preparation programs are inadequately preparing aspiring school leaders. In this study, we surveyed graduate students in a leadership preparation program to understand their perceptions of their knowledge and skills in leading inclusive schools. The study's results contribute to the body of research regarding curricular and experiential changes needed in preparation programs to prepare leaders for inclusive schools.

Dr. Phillip Caldwell II
As a son and citizen of Detroit, my mission is to partner with key stakeholders to develop and implement practices, policies and procedures that accelerate equitable access to educational opportunities and achievement for all students. This commitment has led me to answer the call to apply my technical skills, experiential knowledge, and leadership acumen toward reestablishing the academic health and fiscal solvency of our schools. I hold the rank of Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership & Counseling within the College of Education at Eastern Michigan University. I am also Co-Coordinator for our Educational Leadership program. Over the past two year, I was awarded both the John W. Porter Distinguished Chair in Urban Education & Michael G. Morris Endowed Chair for Outstanding Faculty Members.

Publication: Caldwell II, P., Richardson, J. T., Smart, R. E., & Polega, M. (2022). The Intersectionality of Educating Black Students in Michigan: Public School Finance, Racial Segregation, and Housing Policy. Journal of Education Human Resources, 40(4), 524-563.

Summary: This research investigates Michigan’s system for funding public schools, particularly for Black students, via critical race theory, focusing on structural racism and discrimination embedded in education finance laws, housing policies, and residential and educational segregation. Through its continued reliance on local property taxation, the school finance system in Michigan is just another example of how laws and policies reinforce structural racism and discrimination against Black students. This study can discern a self-reinforcing system that relegates Blacks to a subordinate socioeconomic status regarding school finance, segregation and housing policy, and discrimination.

Follow on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/phillip-caldwell-ii-9a82591a3

​Mollie McQuillan is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. McQuillan’s research focuses on the intersection of educational policy, leadership, school climate, and health of LGBTQ+ populations.

Dr. McQuillan was a guest editor of a special issue of Educational Researcher on Trans Studies in PK-12 Education. Several articles in this special issue can inform educational leaders' understanding of gendered policies, procedures, and practices.





​*McQuillan, M. T. (2022). A starting point: Gender, hot cognition, and trans-informed administrative guidance: Educational Researcher, 51(5), 336-351. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221084707
*Suárez, M. I., McQuillan, M. T., Keenan, H. B., & Iskander, L. (2022). Differences in trans employees’ and students’ school experiences. Educational Researcher, 51(5), 352–358. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221100834
*Mangin, M. M., Keenan, H. B., Meyer, E. J., McQuillan, M. T., Suárez, M. I., & Iskander, L. (2022). Editors’ introduction: Toward Trans Studies in K–12 Education. Educational Researcher, 51(5), 302–306. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221105513
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Please check out Dr. McQuillan important scholarship and consider the implications for the field of educational leadership. For more information, follow Dr. McQuillan on Twitter @msmmcquillan. 

Description
The articles in this special issue of Educational Researcher provide conceptual framings, empirical, and practical recommendations for scholars and educational leaders interested in examining gender within K12 education institutions and engaging with trans knowledge and communities. Three empirical articles in the special issue directly relate to Division A’s focus on PK-12 leadership practices and policy reforms. 

Division A member Mollie McQuillan uses a mixed methods approach in “A Starting Point: Gender, Hot Cognition, and Trans-Informed Administrative Guidance” to examine the design of PK-12 administrative guidance documents concerning transgender students from a representative sample of 112 school districts. McQuillan draws from trans studies, organizational studies, and cognitive psychology to describe why trans-informed guidance can be an effective tool to introduce complex gender “definitions,” the legal underpinnings of trans-informed administrative actions, and broaden administrators’ ability to appropriate respond to the diverse needs of students. McQuillan also provides evidence of language from administrative guidance documents that add barriers for administrators who aim to support trans students. McQuillan proposes codesigning trans-informed, specific administrative guidance as part of a broader cycle of inquiry to implement and expand gender-diversity reforms. 

In a second article, “Differences in Trans Employees’ and Students’ School Experiences,” Mario I. Suárez, Mollie McQuillan, Harper Keenan, and Lee Iskander, provides a descriptive analysis of a sample of 296 trans-identified school workers in Canada and the United States. The authors find trans PK-12 school workers may have greater structural supports but fewer social supports when compared to trans students in the same school. Suárez and colleagues highlight the need for school leaders and policymakers to direct attention to trans adults in schools in addition to the students they serve.  

Finally, the special issue includes a qualitative study from Division A member Melinda Mangin that describes supportive teachers’ attempts to decrease gendered practices, increase discussions about gender, and affirm individual student's gender identity. Mangin centers cisnormative school structures and institutionalized practices as a core obstacle to supporting trans and gender-expansive students. PK-12 leaders and scholars may be interested in learning from Mangin's descriptions of educators who push back against institutionalized cisnormativity. Mangin also led the special issue effort, which stemmed from a Spencer Foundation-funded learning community she organized on trans studies in K-12 educational research