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School Effectiveness in U.S. Amid Crisis: Moral Capacity Building for Social Justice Leadership

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The Cultural and Social Foundations of Educational Leadership

Part of the book series: Educational Governance Research ((EGTU,volume 16))

Abstract

In 1848, Horace Mann remarked, “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance wheel of the social machinery” (para. 10). Yet, school reform, especially in large urban districts like New York and Los Angeles, seeking to equalize the human conditions of people is a grave challenge dependent upon leaders’ moral capacity. Providing all children with equitable educational opportunities is more than a challenge. It requires the commitment of politicians, parents, educators, and administrators alike (Alexander, 2018; Allen & White-Smith, 2018; Delale-O’Connor et al., 2019; Desimone et al., 2002; Dutro et al., 2002). However, research has demonstrated that teachers are in the best position to directly impact student achievement because they understand the difficulties that children face daily and can use professional knowledge to shape the curriculum to meet their needs (White-Smith, 2012a, b; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Touro College, New York, NY, USA

    Jacob Easley II

  2. LaFetra College of Education, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, USA

    Kimberly White-Smith

  3. Graduate Program in School Leadership, Touro College, New York, NY, USA

    Nilda Soto-Ruiz

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  1. Jacob Easley II
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  2. Kimberly White-Smith
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  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Romuald Normand

  2. Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Lejf Moos

  3. Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

    Min Liu

  4. Campus Brugg-Windisch, FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Windisch, Switzerland

    Pierre Tulowitzki

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Easley, J., White-Smith, K., Soto-Ruiz, N. (2021). School Effectiveness in U.S. Amid Crisis: Moral Capacity Building for Social Justice Leadership. In: Normand, R., Moos, L., Liu, M., Tulowitzki, P. (eds) The Cultural and Social Foundations of Educational Leadership. Educational Governance Research, vol 16. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74497-7_9

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