Leadership magazine Jan/Feb 2016 V45 No 3 | Page 15

listen, that “The difference between diversity
and equity is that diversity provides one with
a place at the table, while equity provides one
with a voice at the table.” Equity provides one
with the voice and the power to effect change.
It is the point at which equity is reached
and voice is present that diversity is appropriately celebrated as a preliminary step. Too
often, diversity is seen or measured as the
“end product” of meeting the needs of leadership, when in fact it is equity that should
be viewed as the end product in the educational system. It is important to equip education leaders with the knowledge and skill
to create a systemic response to the diverse
levels of student needs in cross-cultural and
multicultural settings. Doing so will create
and deeply embed a culture of social justice
and equity in schools and districts.
Equity is a social justice issue. As such,
leadership, equity and social justice go handin-hand. Adams, Bell and Griffin (2007)
wrote of social justice in education: “The
goal of social justice education (and in turn,
social justice leadership) is full and equal
participation of all groups in a society that
is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is
equitable and all members are physically and
psychologically safe and secure.”
Attending to the need for development of
a diverse group of leaders and how meeting
this particular need results in a more socially
just and equitable leadership is the point of
this article. Diversity is important, but it is
not enough; equality is important, but it is not
enough; equity is that place where all leadership must meet. Let us begin with diversity.

Diversity: A valuable starting place
According to the California Department of Education’s DataQuest staffing
report, in 2014 there were a total of 24,634
administrators serving California schools.
Of these, 35 percent were categorized as
leaders of color: 21 percent Hispanic or
Latino; 7 percent African American; .005
percent American Indian or Alaska Native;
.04 percent Asian; .003 percent Pacific Islander; .009 percent Filipino; .03 percent no
response; and 62 percent white. Five years
previous, in 2008-09, there were a total of
27,950 school administrators, 33 percent of

Diversity is important, but it is not enough; equality is important, but
it is not enough; equity is that place where all leadership must meet.
whom were leaders of color.
These figures note that the diversity of
educational leadership in California does not
mirror the student population, where 75 percent are students of color. Nevertheless, there
is or should be a constant among educational
leaders serving the educational system, and
that is to do what is best for students.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Mankind will
endure when the world appreciates the logic
of diversity.” There is a valuable starting
place when one begins the conversation regarding diversity in leadership; that is to find
something in common in order to begin to
address differences. Leadership must begin
at that place where student learning and
success is primary, and a place at which all
can begin to appreciate diversity and see it as
something positive, not a deficit.
At the University of Oregon, where its
Division of Equity and Inclusion is an important resource for students, there is the
following Definition of Diversity:“The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance
and respect. It means understanding that
each individual is unique and recognizes our
individual differences. These can be along
the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual orientation, socio-economic status,
age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs or other ideologies. It is the
exploration of these differences in a safe,
pos