EduCon 2018

The need for urban schools that provide equitable, high-quality learning opportunities for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved is unquestionable. However, creating or developing schools that are able to do so has proven to be a challenge, even in places with well-intentioned teachers or school leaders. At Hudson High School of Learning Technologies, a small, public, unscreened New York City high school, several social-justice oriented practices have been developed and implemented, including the Student Success Center (a restorative justice approach to replace the Dean’s Office), Right to Read (a literacy acceleration program for all) and advisory (a mixed-grade group of students and teacher functioning as a school “family”). In this interactive session, we will consider the question of the role of school leadership and professional learning in supporting the development of a place where these approaches could flourish. A school leader and coach will propose several components that may have been foundational in supporting the development and implementation of these and other social-justice oriented practices at the school, seeking input from participants about areas of resonance, dissonance, and successes and challenges in leadership or professional learning at other school sites.