Superintendents Training: COSF Reflection
Background
As school and district leaders, superintendents are facing challenges daily as they navigate how race and gender shape the individual and collective identities of their students, school communities and society. They are being asked to speak on divisive topics of vital importance to deeply invested audiences.
One way or another, the culture wars have affected their work: Some are focused on building community and dialogue to avoid the potential conflicts that are happening in so many places. Others are in the middle of crisis, seeking ways to decrease tensions, continue diversity initiatives, and find a productive path forward. And others may be on the other side of the most intense clashes and working to rebuild trust and understanding in their school communities.
Challenge
Superintendents are seeking ways to better understand the concerns of their community members, keep the doors of civil and productive dialogue open, and articulate their decisions and values to the school community. Despite the conflict and confrontation, they are committed to preserving the crucial institution of public education, and upholding their charge to provide safe schools and high quality learning for all their students. However, it can be hard to know what to say, what to do, and what information to trust.
Approach
COSF’s resources were designed to help superintendents navigate complicated circumstances in their school communities in a way that will help them stay the course, engage community members in brave and honest conversation, and articulate the purpose, reasoning and values that drive their decisions. COSF updated the resources regularly to reflect up-to-date research and public understanding.
At the center of COSF’s support of superintendents was a partnership with Leading Now, which supports superintendents and system leaders in navigating political complexity. COSF facilitated regular sessions on crisis response as well as policy landscape analysis and messaging training.
COSF also developed the seminal Education Leaders Toolkit to serve as a central resource for school leaders. The toolkit features three main sections:
For Leaders Trying to Prevent a Crisis: Suggested proactive talking points and framing to discuss curricular, professional development, instructional, and school culture priorities in ways intended to help build understanding and agreement
For Leaders In the Middle of a Crisis: Strategies for engaging in tough conversations, ways to de-escalate heated conversations, and things to avoid doing in tough situations, all intended to keep the focus on principles, not personalities or politics
For All Leaders: The issues currently under attack—inclusive curricular materials, diverse books, social emotional learning, and supports for students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities—are all related in some way to “Whole Child” approaches to education and the idea of providing “Windows and Mirrors'' for all students. This section provides a high-level look at why these concepts matter for public education, and it links to evidence of the benefits of student-centered education for personal and academic success
COSF also launched the Let Students Learn pledge in partnership with school board members in Los Angeles and Montgomery Counties. Signatories—primarily school board members and superintendents—committed to teaching the complete and accurate story of America and its diverse democracy in our schools by using age-appropriate materials. Additionally, they pledged to avoid working with publishers that eliminate meaningful content in response to political pressures.
Results
COSF quickly established itself as a go-to resource for school leaders around the country. Through Leading Now and similar programs, we have provided training and counsel to more than 400 superintendents to help them avoid and de-escalate crises while doing the equity work that students need and deserve.
The Let Students Learn Pledge gained hundreds of signatures from officials in 27 different states.
Highlights of counsel we provided
In West Virginia, we helped organize the opposition to SB 704. The bill would create "transparency" provisions for parents to be able to access curriculum, a system by which parents can bring complaints regarding ostensibly offensive curriculum to their county superintendent, and allow for them to appeal an adverse decision to their state superintendent of schools. COSF worked with superintendents to draft and submit public comment on the bill and draw attention to its dangers.
In Connecticut, QAnon whipped its acolytes into a frenzy over a school nurse who was suspended for making transphobic posts and disclosing private medical information about an 11 year old child on social media. This led to death threats against the school district employees and some tough press moments. COSF was asked to quietly help the superintendent organize a show of parent support for her leadership at the next school board meeting. We also media-trained her team, revised her talking points, and helped change the narrative in the press to emphasize the danger of allowing extremists to overrun school districts.