Chapter 5: Leaders of Color Navigating Policy in Diversifying Schools

The percentage of White students in public schools across the United States is projected to fall to 45% by 2026 (McFarland et al., 2017). Conversely, demographics within the educator workforce are not keeping pace: In 2012, 82% of teachers and 80% of principals identified as White (U. S. Department of Education, 2016). The mismatch in racial diversity between public school students and educators has contributed to low academic expectations for students of color (Diamond, Randolph, & Spillane, 2004; Gershenson, Holt, & Papageorge, 2016; Irvine, 1990) as well as increasing disproportionality in discipline procedures, where students of color face higher suspension and expulsion rates (Gregory, Skiba, & Noguera, 2011; Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002).