School-Based Racial Equity Collaborations: White Principals Implementing an Active Anti-Racist Stance

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Bibliographic Details
Title: School-Based Racial Equity Collaborations: White Principals Implementing an Active Anti-Racist Stance
Language: English
Authors: Lindsey J. Kaiser (ORCID 0009-0009-7516-0328), David Goldenkranz (ORCID 0009-0002-8480-0242), Heather K. Lechner, Patricia Burgess, Trish Millines Dziko
Source: Education Policy Analysis Archives. 2025 33(8).
Availability: Colleges of Education at Arizona State University and the University of South Florida. c/o Editor, USF EDU162, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5650. Tel: 813-974-3400; Fax: 813-974-3826; Web site: https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/epaa
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 29
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Descriptors: Whites, Principals, Administrator Attitudes, Racial Attitudes, Social Justice, Racism, Equal Education, Program Implementation, Partnerships in Education, Participatory Research, Action Research, Reflection, Educational Change, Resistance to Change, Accountability, Power Structure
Geographic Terms: Washington (Seattle)
ISSN: 1068-2341
Abstract: This study explores how White principals in the Seattle metropolitan area implemented an active anti-racist stance through school-based racial equity collaborations. Using participatory action research, the study follows three White principals in the Ally Engagement program, a community-based racial affinity leadership intervention, during the 2022-23 academic year. Our research-practice partnership asked: How do White school leaders implement their developing understanding of an active anti-racist stance? Findings reveal that principals used school-based racial equity collaborations to begin to ensure the influential presence of Black and Brown individuals in decision-making processes, foster race-specific conversations among predominantly White staff, and integrate antiracist ideas and tools into daily school routines. By applying a racialized lens and engaging in critical self-reflection, these principals sought to navigate challenges, including institutional resistance, to address systemic racism. The study underscores the complexities and opportunities in leading for racial justice, emphasizing the need for meaningful action over performative commitments. We argue that school-based racial equity collaborations can help create a system of accountability for White principals to redistribute power, educate White folks, and work toward system-level change.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1463578
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This study explores how White principals in the Seattle metropolitan area implemented an active anti-racist stance through school-based racial equity collaborations. Using participatory action research, the study follows three White principals in the Ally Engagement program, a community-based racial affinity leadership intervention, during the 2022-23 academic year. Our research-practice partnership asked: How do White school leaders implement their developing understanding of an active anti-racist stance? Findings reveal that principals used school-based racial equity collaborations to begin to ensure the influential presence of Black and Brown individuals in decision-making processes, foster race-specific conversations among predominantly White staff, and integrate antiracist ideas and tools into daily school routines. By applying a racialized lens and engaging in critical self-reflection, these principals sought to navigate challenges, including institutional resistance, to address systemic racism. The study underscores the complexities and opportunities in leading for racial justice, emphasizing the need for meaningful action over performative commitments. We argue that school-based racial equity collaborations can help create a system of accountability for White principals to redistribute power, educate White folks, and work toward system-level change.
ISSN:1068-2341