Preparing Educational Leaders for Social Justice, Action-Learning, and Democratic Activism

Written by Salvatori, P. (October 2012). Instructional Module; Education Policy; Principal Preparation

Summary

Within a private university in suburban New York State (NYS), graduate students in an educational leadership principal preparation program were reading the blogs, news reports, and stories about what was happening throughout the world. Within their educational policy course, they were delving deeper into world events, reflecting upon them, and discussing their meaning with their instructor and peers in the classroom, and over the Moodle (2012) network in discussion forums. Leadership students were trying to come to an understanding of the basic structure and foundation of their federal, state, and local governmental entities (i.e. its laws, rulings, and mandates) that were applicable to education. More importantly, they were discussing their own values, beliefs, rights, and responsibilities as educators (i.e. teachers, aspiring administrators, and administrators), who represented public and private suburban and urban schools.