In the Lead with UCEA

Community-Driven Change: Equity-Centered Leadership in Baltimore feat. Macon L. Tucker III

In this episode of In the Lead with UCEA, Executive Director Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez talks with Macon L. Tucker III, Director of the Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative (ECPI) for Baltimore City Public Schools.   Mónica and Macon talk about the transformative work happening in the City Schools district of Baltimore. Macon outlines the evolution and impact of the ECPI and how it  aims to cultivate inclusive and equity-focused school leaders.  Key elements of that goal include detailed partnerships with local universities, internal collaboration across various departments, and extensive community involvement. Their conversation highlights substantial initiatives being undertaken, showcasing the district's serious commitment to systemic change and student success. In the Lead with UCEA is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: On turning schoolhouse into a community building [04:15]  One of the biggest initiatives that I've been a part of in city schools is our portfolio work around renovating, closing, and even rebuilding new schools. If you look over the course of time, we had some of the oldest buildings in the state as well as up and down the East Coast as far as building structures were concerned. And so throughout this process we have been able to either rebuild, renovate 28 now, I think, schools across our district. And so that has allowed us to really turn that schoolhouse into a community building that is able to really shape and foster learning for all students but then reach out into the community as well so that we could be community schools. That has also allowed us to be able to bring in equity center leaders who are also able to foster and help grow communities. How the partnership with the mayor’s office helped transform Baltimore City Schools [05:13] Baltimore is one of those cities that you really don't hear a lot about, right? But our commitment to education has allowed us to really champion the work that we're doing. I'll also say the city schools, I think, has a great partnership with our mayor's office to ensure that there's a collaboration of how we are approaching the support that we're giving to our students and our school communities because we would not be able to change a city the way we've been able to do within the last 10 years under Dr. Santelises’ time without that tight partnership. So, Baltimore is definitely a unique place. It has its pockets. You look at those historical maps, and you have seen where redlining exists, right? But now when you start to look at our new academic data that's coming out, you see where the pockets are expanding as far as, like, growth and student achievement and resources and things like that. So we've definitely seen a transformation over the past 20 years since I've been here. What made the partnership between university partners and city schools work [13:30] There's a Baltimore context that talks about redlining all the historical context pieces, right? And so that was a foundational piece that everyone in the DPT (district partnership team) was able to be normed on. So then when we come into spaces, we leave titles at the door, we leave biases at the door, and we come into the space as centered as possible. That gave us the tool to actually engage and have authentic conversation and have transparent conversation. Unfortunately we had to sunset that at the end of last school year because of some new legislation that has come about. But those key principles are still things that we're able to still lean into and still abide by when we are in community together. I think that helped build the relationship between university partners and city schools. And so with that being one of those foundational key elements, I think that's where we've been able to see the yielded success of how we've been able to partner with our university partners specifically. SHOW LINKS: * ECPI | Wallace Foundation [https://wallacefoundation.org/focus-areas-and-initiatives/school-leadership/equity-centered-pipeline-initiative]

Championing Equity in Education Leadership feat. Carla Finkelstein

In this episode of In the Lead with UCEA, Executive Director Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez talks with Dr. Carla Finkelstein, associate professor in the Department of Instructional Leadership and Professional Development at Towson University.   Mónica and Carla talk about the evolution of Towson's partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) through the Equity Centered Pipeline Initiative (ECPI). Carla shares her experience in elementary and secondary education and the story of her role in founding the Green School of Baltimore.  Carla notes how historical Towson's collaboration with BCPS is, and the context surrounding it. She explains the transformative impact of ECPI on their program, the importance of relationship-building, and the development of structures for sustaining equity-centered leadership pipelines. Their conversation highlights Towson's efforts to integrate professional development, co-teaching models, and shared leadership practices for the benefit of all cohorts in their programs. In the Lead with UCEA is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: Why Carla saw the Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative as a promising opportunity [05:51]  I would say that our leadership programs at Towson had, for sure, some equity-centered commitments prior to our joining ECPI, but that, to be honest, we knew that there was room for improvement in our programs in terms of our cohesiveness across instructors and the coherence of our through-lines across courses. On why collaboration was hard to come by before ECPI [08:31] I would say before ECPI, all of the faculty in our department are scholars of education and educational leadership, and also have significant practitioner experience, most of us in our local context. But I would say that, like many universities, our time teaching and preparing for teaching was primarily isolated in many ways, and that any impetus to collaborate was a little hard to come by. We had monthly faculty meetings, like most universities do, and during those times, we might gather instructors who were all teaching the same course and investigate what we were doing. But it wasn't nearly enough time to really be diving into a shared understanding of what we were hoping to provide our students with, and what, kind of, leadership practices we envisioned they would walk away from. The often overlooked importance of building relationships in university-district partnerships [14:53] I think the time spent building relationships also doesn’t always get the attention that it deserves. Some of that building relationships was around our professional commitments, and some of it was really getting to know each other personally as well. But the idea that my colleagues and I really came into this initiative having firm commitments to wanting to be of service to the district, that’s not the norm. Partnerships between universities and districts have historically tended to be primarily transactional. And so, even though we had that desire, it took significant amounts of time to really understand each other and know the depth of our values and commitments in order to find where those connections and leverage points really were. How understanding Baltimore's context shapes today’s educational practices [16:40] A deep understanding of the social and political history of the city of Baltimore is key to understanding how we move in our work. If you don't know how redlining worked in Baltimore, then you won't have a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of why our neighborhoods are the way they are, why economic stratification remains the way that it has been in Baltimore for so long. And of course, all of those things affect the way that our schools run. I mean, I would say that, kind of, commitment towards understanding and being respectful of context is true wherever you are, but it's important to us that we know what that is specifically in Baltimore City. SHOW LINKS: * Carla Finkelstein | Towson University [https://www.towson.edu/coe/departments/leadership/facultystaff/cfinkelstein.html] * Carla Finkelstein | LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-finkelstein-418a6365/] * ECPI | Wallace Foundation [https://wallacefoundation.org/focus-areas-and-initiatives/school-leadership/equity-centered-pipeline-initiative]

From Presence to Partnership: Morgan State's Role in Urban Education feat. Darryl Williams

In this episode of In the Lead with UCEA, Executive Director Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez talks with Dr. Darryl Williams, Interim Assistant Chair for Administration in the Dept of Teacher Education and Professional Development,Professor of Practice, and Program Director at Morgan State University.   Mónica and Darryl talk about Darryl’s background and the work he’s doing at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. Darryl explains the strategic partnership between Morgan State University's School of Education and Urban Studies and Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) and elaborates on the Equity Center Principal Pipeline Initiative (ECPI) and its aim to develop sustainable and equitable leadership within the BCPS.  Darryl emphasizes the importance of relevant, community-focused education and highlights the collaborative efforts that have strengthened the principal preparation program. They also reflect on the historical impact of Morgan State University as a historically black college and university (HBCU) and the critical importance of trust and communication in building effective institutional partnerships. In the Lead with UCEA is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: On strengthening the pipeline [08:01] I came at the beginning of year three of the partnership. So, I think the contribution that I saw when I came was really having key individuals come together and looking at the redesign of the principal pipeline. So, that included pre-service, those who were studying to become an administrator, those who then finished the program at the university, and those who were seeking placement as a principal intern or a first-year principal. So, in order to do that, the university had to sit down with the school officials and really look at what we were trying to strengthen in that pipeline. And so, that involved key individuals from the school system as well as the School of Education. And I think what we contribute that's unique for Morgan, and again, I go back to that strategic plan, there are goals that the School of Education and Urban Studies had. But we could also partner with other schools within the university, such as the School of Business and Management. On his focus on student recruitment [12:57] When I arrived, I had a focus and interest in one of the quality measures, which was the candidate admissions. So, that's about the recruitment. How were we recruiting? So, we went from a simple trifold that had some information to then being a part of many of the leadership symposiums, many of the recruitment efforts in the school system, (and) opportunities to have QR codes. So, we became a little bit more high-tech, much more visible.  How Baltimore City’s uniqueness strengthened the partnership [16:59] When you think about Baltimore City, you think about the richness of its history, you think about some of the challenges, you think about how they have built this pipeline to really help our leaders to be successful leaders to turn schools around. Sometimes there may not be as many resources. Sometimes there's great resources. Sometimes we are looking at small schools, we're looking at large schools. Sometimes we're looking at the phenomenon of a K-8 school. Those are unique. That's the context in which we have in our city, but what a great opportunity to really prepare students to take on those responsibilities. You know, I think about the history, I think about the resources, and just to see the partnership that the City schools really want the students to be successful because they're their staff. And so, we want them to be successful because a part of that is we get to say, "Yes, they are Morgan graduates." And also, our accreditation, we continue to provide evidence around our accreditation of how our graduates are doing. So, I think it's a win-win. SHOW LINKS: * Dr. Darryl Williams | Morgan State University [https://www.morgan.edu/teacher-education-and-professional-development/faculty-staff/darryl-williams] * Dr. Darryl Williams | National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities [https://nceed.morgan.edu/member/darryl-williams/] * Dr. Darryl Williams | LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-l-williams-68a30634/] * ECPI | Wallace Foundation [https://wallacefoundation.org/focus-areas-and-initiatives/school-leadership/equity-centered-pipeline-initiative]

Nurturing Future Leaders: Shawn Bird on San Antonio's Educational Evolution

In this episode of In the Lead with UCEA, Executive Director Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez talks with Dr. Shawn Bird, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership for the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD).   Mónica and Shawn talk about Shawn’s extensive experience in public education and he details SAISD's initiatives to develop a sustainable leadership pipeline through their collaboration with the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and participation in the Wallace Foundation's Equity Centered Pipeline Initiative (ECPI).  Their discussion covers SAISD's strategic focus on recruiting and nurturing high-quality leaders, the evolution and contributions of this partnership, and the impactful systemic changes aimed at enhancing student achievement and equity. Shawn highlights the importance of structured support for new principals and the innovative, organic growth of programs arising from ECPI.  In the Lead with UCEA is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: Tackling recruitment challenges in urban school districts [07:06] The district's gone through a lot of change, but one thing that we were struggling with, particularly after COVID, is our workforce preparation and just getting our workforce to just recruit people to come here and work because in urban settings, it is more challenging. SHORT VIDEO: Preparing future leaders beyond the traditional preparation program [09:38] In addition to those preparation academies, once you get the job, we have academies to support you in your first three years of the job, which include coaching and those kinds of things, which we're going to sustain even after the Wallace grant is gone. And that's part of what you do with Wallace is you have to have the sustainability plan, as you know. But that really speaks to the power of this collaboration. I mean, we're starting to see results already in terms of retention and also who is getting into these programs and the quality of candidates attracting. You know, we have a pretty rigorous selection process, and I've worked in urban education my whole career. And, you know, it does take a special personality to work in an urban core because you're dealing with really high poverty, and you're dealing with, a lot of times, students [who] have interrupted education or there's several grade levels behind. We have high mobility. There's lots of issues that you need to have skills to address when you work in the urban school district. And so we know we have to prepare people differently than just the traditional preparation program that they might go through in college. On strengthening the ECPI Initiative through external partnerships [13:32] UTSA is the main partner, but we also have worked with the University of Texas at Austin. They've done some stuff with our central office leadership because this has touched the central office as well. So, you know, because you can't just talk about equity without touching every part of the organization to make sure that it's operationalized and it's coming true. SHORT VIDEO: Shawn shares what he’s most proud of in his work with San Antonio [20:31] The thing about UTSA is they have really worked with us to modify their curriculum and their program to really meet the needs of… they're really preparing people to enter our schools. It's very much tailored. So I'm teaching a class right now, [and] the principalship and the project that we're having them do is look at their survey data, their climate and culture survey data where they currently work, and then develop a problem of practice. So if you were the principal tomorrow and you're just going into that job, this is what it is. What are you going to do to impact the culture? I mean, that project didn't exist before we made the partnership. And so, it's really just that collaboration with UTSA was really willing to open up their doors to us and say, What do you need? And, you know, not to offend our higher education partners, but, you know, they're usually pretty slow to change, and so UTSA has really been nimble, and they have demonstrated that they have a desire to really give us what we need in terms of the workforce. SHOW LINKS: * Shawn Bird | LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-bird-ed-d-36106417/] * SAISD | Homepage [https://www.saisd.net/] * ECPI | Wallace Foundation [https://wallacefoundation.org/focus-areas-and-initiatives/school-leadership/equity-centered-pipeline-initiative]

Pipeline to Progress: Juan Manuel Niño and UT San Antonio's Leadership Vision

Welcome back for season 5! In this episode of In the Lead with UCEA, Executive Director Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez talks with Dr. Juan Manuel Niño, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UT San Antonio, where his research focusing on school district leadership, leadership preparation for social justice, latino leadership, and intersectionalities. Mónica and Juan explore the history and development of the Urban School Leaders Collaborative (USLC) program, which began in 2003. The program focuses on equity-centered leadership and has expanded from a master’s degree program to include a Ph.D., with pathways now for both principals and superintendents. Juan illustrates the impact of the collaborative efforts between UT San Antonio and SAISD, highlighting the Equity Centered Pipeline Initiative (ECPI) supported by the Wallace Foundation.  Their discussion covers the importance of sustainable leadership and the intentional collaboration between university faculty and district leaders. Listen in for insights into the challenges and strategies for creating a lasting and impactful leadership pipeline in education. In the Lead with UCEA is produced by University FM. [https://university.fm/] EPISODE QUOTES: Building leadership pipelines rooted in community  [03:07] The story for the program here at UT San Antonio began in 2003 with the efforts of Dr. Encarnacion Garza and, at that time, Dean Betty Merchant, who wanted to build a sustainable, grow-your-own model within the community of San Antonio. So at that time, they worked with San Antonio ISD and the superintendents to build and to develop a program that would be specific to the needs of the community and to the students and the population of San Antonio ISD. And then hence, that's why they developed the Urban School Leaders Collaborative in 2003. Juan discusses the role of the university in sustaining the equity pipeline. [16:19] I just feel that there's so much richness and tradition in this model, in this program. And [one of the] many things that I've learned is the whole notion of being intentional. Being intentional and transparent and authentic to make sure that this framework is understood and that it's not only respected but that it's really embraced as an opportunity for many school practitioners to look at their practice very differently. The collaborative efforts between UT San Antonio and SAISD’s equity-focused partnership [12:09] We are very proud that the USLC has always been incorporating clinical faculty into our leadership preparation at the master's level. So we always would invite graduates from our program to come and co-teach with us. However, due to budget and funding, sometimes it would be myself co-teaching another class with another graduate. It never was that we had a co-facilitation. Now because of the ECPI and the opportunities that have been afforded through this initiative, we have been able to be more intentional in that approach, meaning that all our coursework through the master's and the PhD, we have a co-teaching model. How that works is that every night when the cohort comes for class, they have two professors. One which is a tenured line professor from UT San Antonio from the department. And then we have the other one, who is a district member, whether at the campus level or at the district level, who is also co-teaching with that UTSA professor. So it has really helped us to develop a preparation that is aligned to meeting the needs and many times the initiatives that the district has set for. Investing with intentionality: building authentic relationships rooted in community Dr. Mónica Byrne-Jiménez [27:53]: Part of the sustainability discussion is always about structures and processes, and maybe, actually, sustainability is about people and relationships. And so how do you continue to grow and deepen relationships around a broader network of people, both at the university and [on] the district side? Dr. Juan Manuel Niño [28:51]: The process sometimes in the universities are not as predictable as I would wish we would have, right? And say, as [for] the funding and all of those aspects, I'm like, you know, creating a cadre of clinical faculty with an equity-centered mindset and becoming very, very familiar with a theory of action, to me, speaks of a sustainable model because we still have to invest and hire clinical model adjunct professors to come and help us teach. Why not invest with intentionality on building relationships with faculty members that are sitting in school districts and cultivating a cohort that will support this initiative? And that's what I've been doing since ECPI. And I think  that's one of the biggest strengths that ECPI has afforded the USLC is to take not only the ownership of USLC in the department, but also sharing that ownership with district leaders throughout San Antonio. SHOW LINKS: * Faculty Profile | UT San Antonio [https://education.utsa.edu/faculty/profiles/nino-juan-manuel.html] * Profile | Journal of Research in Rural Education [https://jrre.psu.edu/contributor/juan-manuel-nino] * Juan’s Research Page | ResearchGate [https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Juan-Nino-2231559523] * ECPI | Wallace Foundation [https://wallacefoundation.org/focus-areas-and-initiatives/school-leadership/equity-centered-pipeline-initiative]