Leadership magazine Sept/Oct 2015 V45 No 1 | Page 12

effectively serving LGBT students and staff.
• A leader of color struggles to effectively
lead equity work at the site level that consists
of a staff that is primarily Caucasian.
In each of these individual equity challenges, there are students who depend on
these educators to effectively lead for equity.
Unaddressed biases can interfere with the
process of closing the achievement gap and
transforming a school community for optimal student outcomes.

Changing is the other half of the battle
Now that we have increased our awareness, addressed our belief systems and biases and assessed our cultural proficiency
level, what do we do next? While knowing
is half the battle, changing is the other half.
And in that journey, your changed heart and
mindset will automatically lead you to next
steps that effectively impact your students,
school community, and ultimately close the
achievement gap.
We cannot begin to list all the best practices that exist when it comes to closing the

achievement gap. However, one can say that
those who did close the gap had a strong belief system about the students they served.
One can also assume that those leaders were
culturally competent and even proficient as
they lead for such equitable outcomes.
To lead for equity in a school or district,
you must create an individual equity plan,
and engage a mentor. Ken Magdaleno of the

Center for Leadership Equity and Research
teaches about being an effective mentor and
protégé in the process of advancing to the
next phase of leadership through a social
justice and equity lens. Leading for equity is
hard work and requires a strategic plan and
optimal support to lead for true change.
Equity leaders must also surround themselves with believers of the work; it cannot be done alone. An empowered team of
stakeholders and a professionally developed
staff can take the vision and create great
change in a school community. The team can
take survey, observation and other relevant
data and work with you to create a plan of
action that is responsive to the needs of the
students and the school community.
By the way, the LCAP is that plan for districts. Yes, this is the opportunity of a lifetime in California to allocate resources and
implement equitable strategies that truly
close the achievement gap. School leaders
can also revise their school-level plans to
ensure that educational equity is the focus
for students. Of c