Expanding the Leadership Framework to Support Socially Just Special Education Policy, Preparation, and Standards

Abstract

Historically, the knowledge traditions and practices of special education have dominated the special education administration discourse. As inclusive practice and accountability continue to shape American education, special education and general education leaders will continue to be challenged to join together to solve the problems of practice inherent in a diverse, complex, high-stakes educational environment. In this chapter, readers will be encouraged to think of the standards presented as a vision and guidelines for policy that can be tailored to create socially just organizations that support equity, access, and opportunity for students with disabilities and their families. The four purposes of this chapter are to introduce: (1) influences of education reform and policies on educational leadership standards, (2) the varied knowledge bases informing professional identities of special education leaders, (3) contributions from the literature toward advancing contemporary leadership standards, and (4) emerging leadership dispositions that have their basis in social justice and professional ethics.