How to Infuse Equity Into Your Superintendent Search

U.S. school systems are more diverse than ever before. Experts predict that, by 2025, students who identify with a minority group will make up a majority of the nation’s high school graduates.

Research shows that scholars who experience learning in a safe and supportive setting have a better chance of achieving success. As such, when school districts select a new leader, no qualification should be more important than a commitment to belonging.

Everyone has a part to play in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in schools. And to be truly equitable, those initiatives should have leadership from every level of the district — from board members and administrators to teachers and families.

However, since school boards are ultimately responsible for hiring a superintendent, the level to which they focus on DEI in their search can have an outsized impact on the district’s overall health.

Seeking Out Complexity

By designing the search process around equity, boards can set themselves up to attract superintendent candidates who share their priorities.

At a basic level, employers should review the language in job descriptions and ensure it mirrors their vision of belonging. A common misstep — thankfully disappearing — is assuming the gender identity of a jobseeker based on pervasive stereotypes around who is expected to lead.

In interviews, search committees should look for candidates who can articulate the concept of equity and speak to it at a systemic level. This approach will likely favor applicants who will question and problematize, which boards should embrace. The factors that contribute to belonging are complex, and no district is perfect. A strong leader will support the overarching mission while pushing back in areas where the system falls short of its intended results.

Leaning Into Courageous Conversations

DEI starts with honest and vulnerable conversations, and anybody stepping into a leadership position needs to be willing to create safe, brave spaces where that dialogue can happen.

Mindset and framing play a vital role. A strength-based lens can help staff, families and students understand that DEI work benefits everyone, improving outcomes and leading to happier, more fulfilled learners.

Nobody is immune to implicit bias. Yet left unchecked, it can create serious barriers to student belonging. Building a culture of equity starts with the example set at the district level. Board members should be willing to reflect on their own identities — including attributes like race, ethnicity, ability, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and class — and enter into dialogue about how those identities play out in a broader societal context.

In doing so, they normalize difficult conversations, creating an environment where a DEI-oriented leader can operate effectively.

Following the Data

Data can be insightful in illustrating where barriers to equity exist. By gathering and analyzing data, education leaders can identify disparities and remove the hurdles that prevent scholars from reaching their full potential.

One helpful marker to look at is equitable representation. For instance, disparities between the racial makeup of an overall student body and those in a gifted and talented program could indicate that an opportunity gap is impacting a particular group of learners.

On the other end of the spectrum, if pupils of a particular race or ethnicity are disproportionately targeted with disciplinary action, there is probably a broader bias issue at play.

That said, quantitative data is only one part of the equation. Augmenting it with qualitative viewpoints — for example, those gathered from interviews, surveys and focus groups — can uncover the story behind the metrics and allow school systems to collaborate to create solutions.

Setting Tangible Goals

Once district leaders have collated information, they must translate their abstract intentions into a tangible vision. If the board knows it needs to focus on diversifying its teaching body, the next step should be creating a plan that drives toward that objective. That includes committing resources — and measuring progress.

For a school system gearing up for an executive search, clarity is key. Operating with a clear understanding of the district’s challenges will help the hiring committee identify an administrator with the tools to address them. Once a new superintendent is onboard, having shared goals will empower them to move the work forward while enhancing transparency between layers of leadership.

Creating Practices of Accountability

With data-backed DEI goals in place, education leaders should be accountable to these in the same way they answer for metrics like retention and enrollment. A climate survey is one tool that boards and administrators can use to gather data and measure progress, although objectives and methods can — and should — vary between districts.

Boards need systems of accountability to their students and communities, too. A logic model can make concrete the activities and inputs the district will commit resources to and name the outputs and impact they hope to have.

By publicly sharing their goals and their roadmap for reaching them, school boards let prospective candidates know they are serious about DEI and are seeking a like-minded administrative partner.

Taking The First Step

Equity work can be messy and uncomfortable. Those at the top of the hierarchy must be aligned in their willingness to embrace the journey — especially when it gets tough.

Designing a search process that will empower the right superintendent to be successful is just the beginning: boards must provide that leader with the platform and resources to effect change.

Nonetheless, they can take the first step towards creating a climate where every learner can flourish by ensuring that the conversations, strategies and voices they center their search process around reflect their commitment to diversity.