Equity-Centered Leadership in Practice at Spalding University
Ben Harris
It’s June. The end of the school year is upon us and it is time to reflect. Reflect on progress, promise, and needs for change. It is a natural process that we as educators complete every school year and helps us to grow and improve each and every year. In our graduate programs and the programs we partner with, the end of the program leads to a Celebration of Learning which is a presentation that covers the growth and impact of each learner throughout the entirety of the program. This year, I had the privilege and opportunity to attend the individual celebrations of the students enrolled in the Spalding University Aspiring Leaders cohort in partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools.
Katie Taliaferro
In previous thought pieces, we have discussed the work that has been conducted and is still in process, with Spalding University with financial support from the Wallace Foundation. Those pieces: Equity-Centered Leadership Development Across Jefferson County Public Schools in Partnership with Spalding University and 2Revolutions and Say the Thing. One key component that I, along with Dr. Shamara Graham, Senior Consultant, and Glenn Baete, Director of Principal and Counselor Preparation Programs, worked to construct and implement throughout the program is the Spalding Six Equity-Centered Leadership Framework which grounds the leadership candidates in equity in every decision that they are tasked to make as a leader. When visiting Louisville in April I was able to see various presentations by the candidates explaining how they were able to experience and apply each of the dispositions to their daily work and learning.
As a follow-up to my visit, I reached out to Dr. Baete and interviewed a few of the Aspiring Leader graduates to discuss their experience within the program. Graduates Ben Harris, currently an English teacher at Liberty Big Picture High School, and Katie Taliaferro, currently an Academic Instructional Coach at Camp Taylor Elementary, agreed to answer a few of my questions to dive deeper into the impact of the program. I have listed the questions and their responses below.
Kate
Thinking back over the Aspiring Leaders program, what are some things that stand out as having a major impact on you as a leader? Was there a clinical field experience or a lab that stands out as an "aha moment" or a moment in which your methods or thinking as a leader were changed/shaped?
Ben
One thing that I will remember is how challenging the program was at times. The workload, though not excessive, forced students to persevere throughout. I believe the rigor was implemented as preparation for the challenges we will face as school administrators. I had several ‘aha moments’ throughout the program. One came in Professor Lattimore’s Community Engagement class. Here, I learned the importance of being an active community partner and resource as opposed to just being an employee within one. A community engagement lab assignment with Dr. Baete allowed me to meet with Ms. Downs, the Community Schools coordinator at Farnsley Middle School. Amongst other lessons, she explained and exemplified the time, effort, and resources it takes to run a community program effectively. I left our meeting inspired by her work.
Katie
Through this program, I experienced several impactful moments that will influence my path to leadership. Thinking about talent and operational management practices, our chance to interview a classified staff member was eye-opening. Every member of the staff has the capability to bring something new to the school and as a leader, one must take the time and energy to find that and help them be willing to share it with the staff. Effective leaders recognize the significance of events and opportunities like these and ensure the right people are involved to make them successful. All staff members have something they can bring to enhance the school and it is my job as a leader to establish the sense of trust that they would want to share their strengths to better serve the students and our school community. Actively seeking to learn about the diversity of our staff will build capacity and trust by noting strengths and the many attributes they can contribute.
Knowing we will leverage support from the district, I was able to attend a board meeting see how communication between the board, the Superintendent and the presenters were related to the JCPS 3 Pillars. From the questions asked by board members to the presentations received, it was evident equity was on the forefront of this meeting no matter if it was explicitly stated in the agenda or not.
A final activity that was important to my next steps in leadership was having the opportunity to evaluate my strengths through the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment. Analyzing my strengths can help me contribute when I join, create, or lead a team and I will be able to better leverage those strengths with intentionality. When considering my blind spots and areas of growth it is important to have other staff members who can fill in what you don’t have which will be important in recruitment and talent management.
Kate
If someone is thinking of branching into leadership, why would you recommend the Spalding University Aspiring Leaders program?
Ben
I would recommend Spalding’s Aspiring Leaders program because it is tailored directly to the roles and responsibilities of future leaders in JCPS. All of the courses and assignments connect to the vision and mission of the District which provide a foundation for our future work as administrative leaders. I also attained my Master’s in Teaching from Spalding University- I can say that their Education department is dedicated to providing a holistic experience for both future teachers and administrative leaders.
Katie
The direct connection to JCPS and learning the way leadership is established with the JCPS systems is such an integral part of the program. I feel confident knowing the behind the scenes work of a beginning leader and have the language and awareness of expectations to contribute while I learn the ropes. The real-life experiences of the professors and their knowledge and skill sets was invaluable. I took away and wrote down nuggets of wisdom from every single professor. They have been through the trenches and are able to teach not just theory but actionable steps we can take once we embark on our next path. Additionally, the cohort component of the Aspiring Leaders program was such an important way to connect to colleagues and other future leaders. Having the support of these ambitious individuals helped motivate and encourage me.
We were able to celebrate successes together and provide feedback and support. Hearing perspectives from all grade levels created interesting conversation and gave me insight into areas I may not be as familiar with, but one day may lead.
Kate
For someone outside of the program, explain the Spalding Six Framework and why it is important to view leadership choices through an equity lens.
Ben
Simply stated, the Spalding Six Framework is a roadmap that future leaders can use to establish a foundation of ethical leadership. By using the Spalding Six framework, students develop equity-centered decision-making processes that inform administrative decision-making. Furthermore, utilizing and incorporating the Spalding Six into the program experience allows us to learn how to become stewards within the communities we serve.
Katie
The Spalding Six keeps equity at the forefront in all areas as a leader. The Spalding Six tenets provide intentional connections to focus our development of equitable educational experiences through consideration of programming, talent management, support, reflection, and continuous improvement. In class, we discussed and studied ways we can apply cultural humility in our leadership, and how having a sense of belonging impacts the opportunity for lifelong learning. We as leaders have a responsibility to ensure that all stakeholders affiliated with our school have these experiences and we develop a love of learning to be successful in life beyond formal education with transferable and lifelong skills.
Kate
How has the Spalding Six Equity Framework changed your focus and perception in the leadership role throughout the Aspiring Leaders Program?
Ben
The Spalding Six Equity Framework became a reference point for me throughout the program. I knew that when in doubt, I could always refer to the framework to gain insight into making ethical, equity-centered decisions. It has allowed me to be more intentional about how I approach and demonstrate equity-centered decision-making which will take me throughout the remainder of my career.
Katie
Now I recognize that as an Equity-Centered Leader I must help create opportunities to advance cultural competency and equity that address biases/inequities through learning experiences. I must effectively build and sustain a culture of belonging and equity and model making connections of mutual care and responsibility. I must strive for continuous improvement. This framework has ingrained commitments I must make to myself, my students, my families and my school community.
Kate
What's next for you? How do you plan to impact other leaders and learners in the upcoming years?
Ben
My next steps are to continue to develop my knowledge, skills, and experiences as a leader so that I am prepared for a leadership role in the District. Combined with my MAT and PhD in Leadership in Higher Education, my MEd in Instructional Leadership from Spalding has provided me with countless tools that enable me to support my educational community. I believe I can be a resource to JCPS in any role that I serve, and I thank Spalding University for preparing me to do so.
Katie
In the immediate future I will continue as an Academic Instructional Coach and try to absorb as much as possible about educational leadership to develop skills for future roles. I hope to be an advocate for appropriate and equitable teaching practices and teach and model for others what I have learned thus far.
It was invigorating to be in the room with these passionate aspiring leaders as they explained how this framework has led them to re-think their leadership style and truly focus choices and plans on what is equitable and purpose-driven for their school communities.