Equity Warriors: Creating Schools That Students Deserve

I hope district and school leaders will consider this book as a handbook for educational equity success.  It delves deep into what all leaders need to be thinking about, talking about and doing to make their schools the best they can be for all students.

Equity Warriors will have an enormous impact in schools as it addresses the how and why to authentic outcomes to address equity issues in schools. The case studies and wisdom within are essential reading for everyone.

This book is incredibly timely and relevant in a world where educators and educational leaders are crying out for change; for help and support to meet the complex learning needs of all our students to ensure every child can by a high achiever; for those who make decisions that affect schooling to make them with ‘every child’ in mind... We are living in world affected by crises after crises, systemic bias and racism, lack of faith in politicians and those in positions of power, and amidst all that, this book inspires educators to act with hope and deliberation, to enact change within the constraints that exist, to work with what we already have to improve outcomes for all of our students.
This book provides practical, realistic and useful guidance for system and school leaders to enact change. You don’t come away thinking, “Those are great ideas, I just don’t know how to enact them”, as there are enough specific suggestions for exactly ‘what’ each leader can do, to the point of being an equity ‘road map’ for leaders.

Equity is an extremely relevant and timely topic that is essential for all school leaders and all schools and communities.  This book provides critically important research and very relevant examples for consideration.  The suggestions in ‘your move’ throughout the book provide  actions for positive and meaningful steps that school leaders can take to move forward
This book is a timely response to our need to discuss uncomfortable topics in an uncomfortable time. Solutions are presented as well as a well-articulated presentation of the problem. This is worth the read. It may change the trajectory of a child’s life.

What school leaders are not taught well is how to initiate change that will lead to educational improvement for all students. Equity Warriors is a doing, leading book, and not a sit back in a sun-lounge reading book. I took away a treasure trove of internationally applicable ideas that I can use in my school today. So, if you want to make a real, moral difference to the lives of the kids that we teach you will find this road map so rewarding.
Equity Warriors provides a relevant call to action for every school and district leaders. The authors implore educators to make their move and takes steps towards greater equity in every school. This is a must-read for new and experienced educational leaders!

This book is a great guide to ensure all district and school site leaders have an equity foundation with researched based protocols to support leaders in becoming equity warriors.

Foreword by Larry Leverett
Introduction
Preface: Begin with Students
Part I: Build an Equity Agenda: Student Data
Chapter 1: District leaders define equity by knowing students and finding allies
Politics: Balance conflicts to build an equity agenda
Diplomacy: Build a critical mass of support for advancing equity
Warfare: Use student data to convince, question, and teach
Chapter 2: School leaders center the equity agenda on student experiences
Politics: Engage the school community in shaping and telling the school’s story
Diplomacy: Rally stakeholders to your school’s equity agenda
Warfare: Know your students
Part II: Lead with Purpose: Values-Enhanced Leadership
Chapter 3: District leaders identify and engage with shared values
Politics: Surface and articulate values
Diplomacy: Lead change focusing on values
Warfare: Act with purpose, understanding, and resolve
Chapter 4: School leaders communicate and live their values, and expect the same from others
Politics: Help others stand with you
Diplomacy: Link values to intended outcomes
Warfare: Act deliberately
Part III: Educate Each and Every Student Well: Teaching & Learning
Chapter 5: District leaders focus and maintain attention on teaching and learning
Politics: Bring coherence to systems, structures, resources, stakeholders, and culture
Diplomacy: Build expertise and capacity around teaching and learning
Warfare: Act with a laser-like focus on teaching and learning
Chapter 6: School leaders ensure each and every student succeeds
Politics: Bring coherence to provide access to rigorous learning for all students
Diplomacy: Use protocols and processes to build capacity
Warfare: Hold everyone in the school accountable for student learning
Epilogue

From October 2018-December 2021, George S. Perry served in the New York City Department of Education and the Chancellor¿s Office as the Director of School Leadership and Organizational Alignment. In this role, George supported the assessment, alignment, and implementation of citywide equity and values-centered leadership development for teacher, school, and district leaders.

Before joining the NYC DOE, George was executive director of Perry and Associates, Inc. a national consulting firm, founded in 2001, that acts on its commitment to social justice and equity by assisting district and school leaders improve the academic achievement of all students.

George brings 40 years of experience in education at the national, state, and local levels. George directed experienced, highly successful consultant teams build instructional leadership capacity at the district and school level. He and his colleagues assisted school boards, superintendents, and district leaders:

• Transform the Montgomery County (MD) and Stamford (CT) Central Offices to Improve Support to Schools;
• Strengthen instructional leadership capacity in San Diego (CA) through a systemic approach to learning from the classroom to the board room;
• Redesign New York City Department of Education¿s (1) System-wide Reform Initiative to Raise Achievement of Students with Disabilities and (2) System-wide Reorganization to Improve Family and Community Engagement;
• Strengthen Principal Leadership in Boston, Corpus Christi (TX), Long Beach (CA) and San Diego;
• Accelerate Middle-Grades and High School Reform in Corpus Christi (TX), Jefferson County (KY), and Long Beach; and
• Use Prototype Curricula in Flint (MI) as a Lever for Change.

George and his colleagues guided over 75 low-performing schools in Corpus Christi, Flint, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego raise and sustain student achievement by improving instruction, building on strengths and using data and research based strategies.

The district and school partnerships have been successful in raising student achievement, closing achievement gaps, and preparing students for college and careers. Among the past and current districts, three have won the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education, awarded annually for raising student achievement and closing achievement gaps.

In addition, George served as the senior education advisor during the 2013 campaigns and on the transition teams of Mayor Marty Walsh of Boston and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City.

Beginning in 1994, George as a senior consultant with the Panasonic Foundation working with district-level, systemic improvement and assisting school boards, superintendents and district and association/union leaders ¿break the links¿ between race, poverty and achievement for all students: All means All. In this role, George assisted district leaders on their journey toward advancing equity as a ¿critical friend¿ and coach. With his support, leaders built their capacity to think and plan strategically and systemically, identify barriers to improvement, and address significant challenges through creating conditions for system-wide change and enhancing leadership skills and actions. He directed partnerships in Atlanta, Boston, Hayward (CA), Newark, Norfolk, Portland (OR), Prince George¿s County (MD), Providence, San Diego, Santa Fe, and Stamford.

George holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an Ed.M. from Harvard University, an M.B.A. from Babson College and a B.S. with honors in Secondary Education from Northeastern University.

Advance equity by learning to crack the system’s codes
We must act now, using what we already know, to advance equity and raise the achievement of every student. With three decades of leading equity work across the country, George S. Perry Jr. issues a call to action for educational leaders who are willing to fight the fight for equity for all students.
School and district leaders will encounter roadblocks as they enact systemic change, but Equity Warriors introduces practical, realistic, and strategic approaches for navigating those barriers. Equity Warriors equips education leaders with the moves they can make today to achieve the vision that every student becomes a high achiever by

•  Providing real school and district examples of systemic equity efforts
• Demonstrating the parallel work that school and district teams must do to achieve and sustain systemic change
• Cracking the codes in the domains of politics, diplomacy, and warfare to achieve the equity agenda.

Equity Warriors is a must read for leaders at all levels of the system who have chosen to be in this fight and are ready to do what it takes to make the system work for all students.