Tomorrow's Principal

Leadership Journey with Dr. Meisha Ross Porter

The Aspen Institute Episode 2

Dr. Meisha Ross Porter, chancellor of NYC public schools, and Nancy Gutierrez are doing profound work in how kids learn nationwide. Something we all resonate within this episode is the incredible teachers that placed both positive and negative expectations on us as children, walking into the classroom each year, and how that shaped each of our behaviors that year in that classroom. That’s why episode 01 of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast is about understanding and reflecting on your own student story. 

In this episode of Tomorrow’s Principal Podcast, Nancy and Meisha are sharing the importance of your own past story and actionable steps you can take right now to unlearn through self-reflection to know where you are driving disruption to construction. 

Some of the talking points Nancy, Meisha, and I go over in this episode include:

  • With about 53% of the student population in this country, and over 70% in NYC, being student’s of color, there is a beautifully growing diverse population. Nancy brings up the call to action as school leaders that this diversity calls for in culturally responsive leadership.
  • The biggest piece missing from the big conversation in this country around curriculum; there’s no one that doesn’t want to be in, or have their child in a classroom, where they don’t see themselves. Children want to be seen and Meisha explains how to do that.
  • Three lists every school leader should make to better understand what’s missing from their educational community.
  • The difference between the leader you aspire to be, and the leader your community needs you to be, and how to tell the difference.

It is so important to understand where you’ve come from as a person, as a leader, and as a past student, so when you are a leader looking to implement systemic change and culture responsiveness, you can see what to break down and what to construct. So be sure to tune in to all the episodes to receive tons of practical tips on culturally responsive leadership in the educational space and to hear even more about the points outlined above.

Thank you for listening!

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