Vestiges of desegregation: Black superintendent reflections on the complex legacy of Brown v Board of Education

Research reflecting the diverse thoughts, experiences, and perspectives of the Black school superintendent is scarce despite the noteworthy role Black leaders and educators have demonstrated within and beyond the Black community. Although there is extensive literature on the impacts of segregation, desegregation, and resegregation on Black student achievement and the promise and failures of school choice reform, my review of related literature revealed an absence of voices belonging to those individuals who possess the personal and professional experiences that may inform these very complex issues---Black school superintendents; This qualitative dissertation study documents and explores the reflections and perspectives of eight retired Black school superintendents on desegregation policy and its perceived impact on the self-concept, education, and communities of Black students. The questions guiding this study are. (1) How do the standpoint and lived experiences of Black school superintendents before, during, and after desegregation influence their perspectives on public school choice and Black student achievement? (2) In what ways can the standpoint, lived experiences, and perspectives of Black superintendents provide insight to Black families concerning school choice and achievement? (3) In what ways do the lived experiences of school desegregation provide insight for how Black educators and families respond to school choice policy and policies designed to improve Black student achievement? (4) How should the next generation of Black educators and community leaders move forward to improve Black student achievement?;In-depth interviews, narratives, and counterstorytelling were used to illustrate and examine the promises, both fulfilled and broken, of desegregation policies in the Black community. Standpoint theory and critical race theory (CRT) framed the study, revealing three counternarratives that challenge key assumptions located within mainstream education discourse concerning desegregation and Black education: (1) all Black schools are not inherently bad, (2) many problems attributed to Black education began with desegregation, and (3) schools and school systems have never truly integrated; This study is important because it can inform those concerned with the plight of all students, and Black students in particular, about the personal and professional experiences of Black school superintendents, and give voice to their perspectives concerning desegregation and race-conscious education policy. It is also adds to the growing literature that applies a racial realist perspective of critical race theory to education

Charter schools and accountability: An evalution of Nevada\u27s charter school accountability legislation

America’s public education system has become one of the most hotly debated issues in the country. Poor student performance and failing schools have forced many to identify ways to reform the current system through measures such as school-based management, performancebased incentive programs and opportunities for parental choice. As a result, charter schools have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional public schools. In addition, there have been many questions surrounding the “autonomy for accountability” tradeoff characteristic of the charter school concept. In an effort to contribute to the discussion of charter school accountability and efforts to hold charter schools accountable for student performance, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate Nevada’s current charter school legislation and identify ways that it can be improved to assist charter schools in developing an effective balance between autonomy and accountability. Research for this paper was conducted through an extensive review of the current literature concerning charter schools, charter school laws, and charter school accountability. Based on the research, five criteria for effective charter school accountability legislation are established and used to analyze Nevada’s charter schools law. These findings and recommendations are then presented at the end of this paper. As does every report on charter schools, this paper takes into account the fact that the charter school movement and research concerning charter school accountability are still relatively young and continuously evolving, particular in Nevada, where the oldest charter school is only in its fourth year of operation. However, it is the goal of this paper to add to the current literature and provide recommendations that will both strengthen Nevada’s charter school law and contribute to the overall effort to improve the quality of the American education system

Nexus 17: Education reform

Tom Loveless, Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution, Sonya Horsford, Senior Resident Scholar of Education at Lincy Institute and Gene Hall, Professor of Educational Leadership at UNLV discuss the reform of our education system. Reform is never easy and often controversial, but certainly needed

Supporting student learning in shifting educational contexts: Innovative perspectives on educational leadership in an era of change

The purpose of this symposium is to address the varied and complex considerations and contexts facing educational leaders in an era of significant social, cultural, and political change in University’s schools and society. Grounded in research on democracy through education, community schooling, P-20 educational contexts, leadership for globalization, and reflective practice, the session speaks to the innovative leadership practices needed for schooling in the 21st century

Supporting student learning in shifting educational contexts: Innovative perspectives on educational leadership in an era of change

The purpose of this symposium is to address the varied and complex considerations and contexts facing educational leaders in an era of significant social, cultural, and political change in University’s schools and society. Grounded in research on democracy through education, community schooling, P-20 educational contexts, leadership for globalization, and reflective practice, the session speaks to the innovative leadership practices needed for schooling in the 21st century

Black Education in the Wake of COVID-19 and Systemic Racism: Toward a Theory of Change and Action

This report presents findings from a research study the Black Education Research Collective (BERC) conducted to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism have impacted Black education from the perspectives of Black parents, teachers, students, educators, and community leaders. Findings underscored the historical and systemic nature of trauma in Black communities as a result of racism in U.S. institutions, including schools and school systems. Participants expressed concern over the fact that schools are ill-equipped to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of their children and that COVID-19 and increasing racial violence have revealed further their lack of capacity or willingness to meet the educational needs of Black students or expectations of Black parents