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Leaders for Just Schools

Our three-year program gives participants the historical, legal, and educational tools to transform policy and practice at the local, state, and national levels.
Young student smiles at the camera NEA
From Abbeville, Louisiana to Las Vegas, Nevada, all students should enjoy a rich, rewarding education.

Through NEA’s Leaders for Just Schools program, NEA is building a national network of educators who are prepared to advance equitable outcomes for students. Created by educators for educators, the curriculum allows participants to:

  • Dive into understanding equity
  • Investigate how bias impacts conditions of teaching and learning
  • Explore ways in which they can improve school culture so that every student has the opportunity to succeed

The curriculum is grounded in real-life experiences in schools across the country, so the content is real, relatable, and actionable.

Outcomes

By participating in the Leaders for Just Schools program, participants will:

  • Learn to advocate for students using levers in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to combat institutional inequities in their schools and communities through the lens of racial justice in education
  • Be prepared to build student-centered inclusive plans to create just and equitable learning environments for all
  • Have a network of support as they they share what they've learned with their school communities and implement change

Leaders in Action

Our participants are changing schools, communities, and lives. Here's a look at who they are and what they're doing.
Program participants
1 OF 4
The 25 participants of the 2020 cohort represent rural, urban, and suburban schools.

NEA

Rebecca Cole
2 OF 4
Rebecca Cole, President for the Sebago East Shore (Maine) Education Association, with NEA Vice President Becky Pringle

Elic Senter/NEA

Jordann Lankford
3 OF 4
Jordann Lankford of Great Falls, Montana, helps her colleagues better understand the historical traumas native people have faced, and better support their native students.

Jordann Lankford

Nick Schwei
4 OF 4
Participant Nick Schwei has supported efforts to bring the Racine, WI, community into his district's ESSA planning.

NEA Today

INTERESTED IN TAKING ACTION?

If you're committed to working for justice in public education, reach out to your state affiliate president and share your interest in the Leaders for Just Schools program. Each state affiliate can submit up to five participants for the next national cohort, which will begin work in Summer 2021.

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Media Contact

Lawrence Brisson
This experience gave me the knowledge and support to create lasting change and greater equity in our policy, practice, and performance.
Quote by: Lawrence Brinson, Social Studies teacher, North Carolina Association of Educators
Voices of Leaders for Just Schools

Voices of Leaders for Just Schools

In light of the many challenges that the local, state, and national responses to COVID-19 laid bare, a group of NEA members who all participated in Leaders for Just Schools—a new leadership program built around equity and racial and social justice in education—began conversing. Voices of Leaders for Just Schools is the result of those conversations, complete with recommendations and resources you can use to promote equitable and just practices in schools.
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.
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