ERIC Number: EJ1111661
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2014-9018
EISSN: N/A
The War on Poverty Must Be Won: Transformative Leaders Can Make a Difference
Shields, Carolyn M.
International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, v2 n2 p124-146 Jul 2014
According to reports, almost one billion children worldwide live in poverty, many of whom find it difficult to attend school on a regular basis. Moreover, when they are able to attend, they too often find themselves unable to succeed, falling farther and farther behind their more affluent peers. By attending to a number of relevant research findings, educators can reverse this situation. First, it is important to understand and address both generational and situational poverty by challenging and eliminating deficit thinking. We must understand the difference between a child's prior opportunity to learn and his or her ability to learn; hold high expectations of every child and provide them with a rich and engaging learning environment. To accomplish this, transformative leadership offers a way forward. It is also important to ensure our curricula, our pedagogies, and our policies are inclusive, that they acknowledge the lived realities of every child, and that they openly address the social and societal inequities that marginalize some and privilege others. Educators must become advocates, when necessary, for those who desperately need the advice and encouragement of a caring adult. Only then can we change despair into hope.
Descriptors: Poverty, Transformational Leadership, Educational Quality, Equal Education, Social Justice, Leadership Responsibility, Social Bias, Role of Education, Social Influences, Social Change, Expectation, Inclusion, Advocacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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