From Brockton to Newton: Shaping Equitable Futures in Education and Leadership
Over the past few weeks, both towns where I called home have faced very different, but very public fights about the future of their district schools. In Brockton, MA where some city councilmembers are pushing for national guard troops in the high school (https://shorturl.at/isx13), and in Newton, MA, which experienced a prolonged teachers strike (https://shorturl.at/DPVZ2).
As Founder & Managing Principal of StrivEquity Consulting LLC, a significant memory from high school related to equitable leadership stands out: the limiting advice I received from my guidance counselor. This experience, common among many young Black and Brown students, taught me a crucial lesson about overcoming barriers and the power of community-belief.
As a junior in high school, I was guided by my guidance counselor to limit my vision for higher education. That my “reach” schools were not possible, and that my “safety” schools were in fact reaches.
If I had listened to this guidance counselor, as many young Black and Brown students do throughout America, I might not have experienced going to college at a place like Williams College. Fortunately I have a mother, father and community who rejected the counselor’s advice wholeheartedly.
I later learned that this guidance counselor and others like them, have their own vision for who is the right fit for particular schools. That they will push certain students as “a XYZ College Kid,” recognizing that these institutions will only take a certain number of students from each high school, and a “diversity” applicant like myself might throw a monkey wrench in the works.
Given the interpersonal and institutional dynamic around Black students, I decided to hide what schools I got into, knowing that I would be hit with the “diversity applicant” barbs once people found out.
So, how are you navigating your career and work? Are you playing it safe, or are you striving for equitable change within your sphere of influence?
At StrivEquity Consulting LLC, we focus on engaging leaders through our unique Equity-Responsive Leadership (ERL) model, which encompasses:
Tailored Leadership: ERL equips leaders, considering their position, power, and social identities, to pursue individual learning agendas and identify opportunities for impactful leadership.
Seven-Step Progression: Our model guides leaders through a comprehensive seven-step journey, focusing on awareness, emotional intelligence, and vision setting.
Responsive Support: While ERL has a structured approach, we are committed to supporting leaders through the daily and weekly challenges, ensuring flexibility and relevance in our coaching.
We are dedicated to dismantling these barriers and fostering an environment where Black and Brown leaders can thrive and drive equitable change. If this resonates, consider a discovery call here: https://lnkd.in/e4jhYTYH
Engage with the StrivEquity community on LinkedIn here