Leadership for equity in schools

Abstract

School leaders work in international and national contexts with increasing expectation to reframe school cultures to support diverse school community members. If education systems expect school leaders to lead socially just change for greater equity in schools, there is a need for understanding of current trends in education and consideration of the knowledge and skills needed to mobilize equity in schools. This article draws on critical and transformative leadership approaches and presents a range of taxonomies and frameworks for professional learning programs for school leaders. Finally, two Australian studies describe ways that school leaders have enacted change for equity within policy contexts that emphasize competition and top-down accountability.