Running head: literature review

Literature Review Chapter 13

Marcus Benton
Concordia University Texas

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Literature Review Chapter 13

Achieving equity in all public schools could be a milestone that sets America a part from
the rest of the world. After reading chapter 13and gaining the understanding about achieving
equity in schools will not be possible unless school districts and the schools they serve engage in
courageous conversations about race. Ongoing conversations about race and teachers
researching ways to improve their instructional practices to benefit all students in the classroom
is the start to achieving equitable schools. Chapter 13 focuses on keys to anti-racist leadership
and how an effective force of anti-racist leaders can foster real equity transformation in
Americas schools across the country. Singleton and Linton also addressed the personal
affiliation towards anti-racist equity leadership which they stated, both white educators and
educators of color have an equal amount to offer to the conversation on race and to the work of
educating all students. (pg. 240 par. 2) I believe wholeheartedly, if we as educators can come
together and make it our passion to educate all kids regardless of their color or cultural
background, the rewards will be insurmountable.
By the same token, Singleton and Linton discussed what an anti-racist leader looks like
from the individual teacher aspect. They stated, Beyond developing an understanding about
race, teachers must establish high expectations and implement more effective instructional
practices to close the racial achievement gap. (Pg. 242 par. 3) Our students should not be
thought less of, they should be shown how much a teacher cares about the outcome of their
educational experience. The teacher must show the student strategies they are implementing in
order for the student to improve. Teachers who refuse to act on student abilities or lack thereof
are very destructive to the well-being of those students.

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When I become principal I would like to model the plan that was used in Lemon Grove
School District in San Diego County California to eliminate the racial achievement gap. I liked
how their plan started at the top with the superintendent and his vision for creating equitable
schools then, introduced to the principals and the principals introduced the vision to the teachers
on their campus. Albeit the plan started with courageous conversations about race. Starting at
the district level, the plan called for the creation of an Equity Advisory Team who were trained
by Glenn Singletons firm. The Equity Team introduced what they learned to the principals and
the principals then introduced courageous conversations to the teachers and eventually created
CARE teams on their campuses. These teams would examine components of effective teaching,
assess the quality of their lessons, and use data extensively in order to better understand how to
teach students of different races. It is my plan to implement a very similar strategy in order to
have a school that ensures true equity for all students.
Finally, all the ideas previously mentioned are strategies that are needed in my school as
well as the entire district. If we as educators are serious about closing the racial achievement
gap, we must first talk about race in order to begin the journey to having equitable schools.