Empowering Teacher Leadership in Systemic Justice Efforts

In the United States, almost one-quarter of all youth are children of immigrants and it is projected that by 2040 over a third of all children will be growing up in immigrant households (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2010). This shift in demographics has the potential to compound the inability that many school districts demonstrate to effectively serve culturally and linguistically students as evidenced by disparent outcomes and experiences. New frameworks of equity work incorporate systems of change from all levels of school district organizations. This paper looks specifically at the power of teacher-facilitated professional development to affect greater climate consciousness.