Achieving Equity and Justice in Education through the Work of Systems Change

(Hardback)

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In Achieving Equity and Justice in Education through the Work of Systems Change, Dr. Neitzel contends that our nation is at a crossroads. Do we continue with the band aid approach to equity that is focused on implementing isolated intervention programs aimed at reducing the achievement gap Or do we embrace systems change, which requires us to focus on disrupting the roots that are sustaining deep disparities between Black and White students She guides readers through the history of the educational system to facilitate a greater understanding about how barriers have morphed to disadvantage Black students and why systems change is necessary to address racial inequities within our schools. She lays out a systems change framework that provides the path forward for educational leaders, teachers, policy makers, and community members. "The Work" identifies key issues that must be addressed and offers a revolutionary new way of thinking about how to bring about lasting change for all students.

Reviews

Jennifer Neitzel has gone to a place few White education researchers have gone and stayed - laser focus on the role of the U.S. history and continued legacy of institutional racism that maintains the achievement gap. Neitzel, rightfully, focuses on White peoples' dirty laundry of acquiescing to White supremacy, anti-blackness, and structural racism to maintain their racial hierarchy and privilege. This book is a direct call and challenge to White Liberal America to make sure education and society works for all by actively engaging in eradicating racism and sharing power and privilege. Neitzel has given us a blue print for racial equity in education - moving beyond the act of lip-service and guilty-giving to reconstructing an anti-bias and anti-racist educational system (and society).

Neitzel provides a thorough review of the failings of the current system and offers suggestions for dismantling and rebuilding through a community-based strategic planning process. This short book reads as a textbook with a thorough review of the literature.

Throughout the history of the United States, racism has served to advantage White people while disadvantaging people of color. Racism acts to suppress opportunities for people of color largely through systems rather than individual acts, making it difficult to address without undertaking systemic work. In this book, Dr. Neitzel provides a road map for those seeking to undertake such work, not in theory, but in the communities that have been so consistently devastated by the effects of White supremacy. It is a must read for anyone interested in effecting real, desperately needed change.

Author Bio

Jennifer Neitzel is the Executive Director of the Educational Equity Institute.