Leading on the EDJE (Education Deans for Justice and Equity)

What does it mean for a school of education to advance justice and equity? Is it enough for its mission statement to include words like “justice” and “democracy,” to offer signature programs about justice, or for there to be a critical mass of scholars who write on this topic? Since its formation in 2016, Education Deans for Justice and Education (EDJE), a group of more than 400 education deans and leaders from large and small institutions, has been grappling with what it means to advance — as well as to trouble — justice and equity in and through our schools of education and education systems more broadly.

Leading on the EDGE brings together ten chapters, along with an introduction and conclusion, written by deans and leaders from a diverse set of institutions across the United States. These leaders have implemented ideas that support an equity stance in their institutions using the EDJE Framework for Assessment and Transformation, an instrument designed for this purpose.

As leaders of schools of education, many of us constantly ask: how can we transform our institutions in meaningful ways to foster justice and equity? What actions can we take that go beyond the essentials of revising the curriculum or diversifying our faculty, staff, and students? How can we take a holistic approach to the transformation of all aspects of our institutions, our governance structures, fundraising strategies, and external relationships with communities?

We are living and working in precarious times with justice-oriented work at universities threatened at the federal level with possible serious ramifications at both public and private universities. With diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, affirmative action measures, and equal opportunity policies under attack, university leaders committed to actions that support equity and access in their institutions require resources to support their work.

Many initiatives that claim to address issues of justice and equity focus solely on curriculum and pedagogy. This Framework addresses all of the major areas in a school including admissions, hiring, development, budget priorities, community engagement, the support of faculty, staff, and students of color, as well as curriculum and pedagogical practices. The Framework was written by a large and varied group of people with great expertise and experience, who came together several times to pool their knowledge and resources.

Through Leading on the EDGE, the authors tell complex and varied stories. While in some institutions, faculty quickly embraced ideas for focusing on justice and equity, other faculties were more reluctant. The stories in this volume reflect moments of vulnerability as well as strength. Authors reflect on the issues and challenges that arose from this work, how they adapted the Framework for their unique contexts and goals, how they got started, challenges they encountered, initial outcomes, how the work can be translated to other settings within the university and in other educational settings, and provide concrete strategies for their colleagues. At a time when education leaders are under attack, Leading on the EDGE provides concrete ideas and strategies for taking a stand and proclaiming a commitment to the transformative work of justice and equity in higher education.

Chapters of Leading on the EDGE are conveyed in a variety of genres and styles: some are organized as case studies, others are more similar to reflective essays; some focus on assessment of the institution or school’s focus on equity and justice, while others turn their attention to how programs were implemented, including those results; some are written in a more traditional academic style while others more autobiographical, dialogical, or even artful.

Perfect for courses such as: Higher Education Administration, Educational Leadership, Multicultural Education, Foundation of Education, Educational Policy, Race and Education, Research Methods, Social Justice Education, Organizational Management (in Education)