Written by equity leadership expert George S. Perry Jr. Equity Warriors is the guide to enacting equity-focused, deep systemic transformation for education leaders.
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. Joan Richardson is known as an excellent editor, writer, and researcher with deep expertise about education and for being a creative and strategic thinker who excels at transforming publications and rethinking organizational efforts to deepen impact in schools and influence quality of learning. In addition to spending hundreds of hours visiting U.S. schools, she also has extensive experience visiting and writing about schools abroad - Canada, China, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti, and the Netherlands. She was editor-in-chief of Phi Delta Kappan magazine, the flagship publication of PDK International, for 10 years and also director of the PDK Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, the nation's longest-running public opinion survey about K-12 education. Before joining PDK in 2008, she served as communications director for the National Staff Development Council (now Learning Forward) for 12 years. In that position, she was executive editor of JSD and also the creator, editor, and writer for the NSDC newsletters - The Learning Principal, The Learning System, Tools for Schools, and Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3) - and manager of the organization's extensive web site. She also directed NSDC's book publishing operations, web site, and its media outreach efforts. Prior to her work in the nonprofit sector, she worked for 22 years as a newspaper reporter and editor. In her last newspaper job with the Detroit Free Press, she focused on issues and trends in education, including coverage of the early days of charter schools in Michigan. Her previous newspaper jobs included stints at the Indianapolis Star and the Peoria Journal Star. She designed and launched All Things PLC, a magazine published by Solution Tree Press. She is the author of From the Inside Out: Learning from the Positive Deviance in Your Organization (NSDC, 2004). She served on the Grosse Pointe (Mich.) Board of Education for six years, including one term as president. Joan was a Michigan Journalism Fellow (1988-89) studying the economics of globalization on American business and American life. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism and history from Indiana University.
Title: Equity Warriors: Creating Schools That Students Deserve
Author: Richardson, Joan,Perry, George S.
ISBN: 9781071851371
Binding:
Publisher: SAGE Publications Inc
Publication Date: 2022-04-21
Number of Pages: 360
Weight: 0.7692 kg
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.
-- Janet Crews
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.
-- Dr. Ken Darvall
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.
-- Rachael Lehr
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 -- Marianne L. Lescher, Ph.D.
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.
-- Dr. Roseanne Lopez
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. -- Dr. Neil MacNeill, PhD, EdD.
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!
-- Jacie Maslyk
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.
-- Courtney Miller
