Leadership magazine Nov/Dec 2014 V 44 No 2 | Page 22

for the teaching and learning process, research indicates teachers’ content knowledge
does not have the highest impact on student
learning. Despite the fact that this research
has circulated in the educational community for years, we still focus 80 percent of
professional development on teacher content knowledge. This may be a reason why
we have not solved the math issue with black
and brown students.
Principals must transform teachers’
mindsets so they believe that under-served,
low income and marginalized students can
perform at extraordinary levels, and that
they have unlimited potential. Too many
passive and resistant teachers believe certain
students can’t perform at the high levels required by Common Core.
Respectfully confronting and transforming a teacher’s mindset is plowing the fields
for Common Core to grow. The actions a
Courageous Equity Leader can take daily
are to instill an unwavering belief that every
teacher can and will be great, and to acknowledge even the small successes of every

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Leadership

I believe students have the skills
to be critical thinkers.
teacher publicly. The CEL walks the halls and
visits classrooms, catching teachers taking
instructional risks, and highlights the efforts
of teachers who are moving toward the goal
of providing students with the skills to be
critical thinkers and self-directed learners.

Setting compelling priorities
Successful implementation of Common
Core is really about being efficacious in your
skills to lead, listen and learn to become a
great leader. Great leaders are committed
to owning high priorities and making them
compelling. All too often the district drives
site priorities and the principal owns the responsibility of implementation. Principals
sit in monthly meetings and wait for the assistant superintendent of curriculum and
instruction to give the next step to implement.
Level V leaders have the skill to absorb in-

formation and make it their own, and then
make it compelling enough that teachers
own the priority. I believe students have the
skills to be critical thinkers – a life-or-death
situation for students of color. We have the
pipeline to prison and juvenile justice data
to substantiate this fact.
If we are to be successful in implementing Common Core in the coming years, we
must cultivate the land and create the proper
conditions for growth. Otherwise, we will
plant on top of the hardpan soil and the first
rain will wash away the seeds. Courageous
Equity Instructional Leaders, your heavy
lifting is creating the conditions for equity
and excellence. n

References
Collins, Jim. (2001). Good to Great: Why
Some Companies Make the Leap…And
Others Don’t. HarperBusiness.

Edwin Javius is founder of EdEquity Educational
Consultants, www.edequity.com.