Chapter 10: Voices of Veteran Administrators

The chapter begins with our perspective on social justice issues and is followed by a review of the professional development literature that pertains to veteran administrators. Through the voices of veteran administrators, we report the social justice issues they encounter in their work, their descriptions of the “best” professional development they have experienced, the sources of their professional development, their self-directed professional development, and why they “stick with it.”

Our perspective on social justice is informed by the literature, interviews with veteran administrators, and our collective years of experience as teachers and administrators.

We acknowledge Ayers and Quinn’s (2009) perspectives on social justice. They state, “teaching for social justice begins with the idea that every human being is entitled to decent standards of freedom and justice, and that any violation must be acknowledged, testified to, and opposed” (p. xv). Additionally, Ayers and Quinn note: