Shatter the System : Equity Leadership and Social Justice Advocacy in Education

Shatter the System is a critique of the American education system and the social and cultural conditioning that has disadvantaged some students while advancing others. The book introduces the Equitable-Social Change Process (ESCP) model for social justice advocates and equity leaders in schools and other organizations to guide their equity efforts. The model moves leaders through four phases from awareness to accountability to ensure the equity efforts are sustainable to actionable for all stakeholders. Interwoven throughout the book is the humility, diversity, inclusion, equity framework (HDEI). Humility is a part of the framing, and also a value—a competency an equity leaders needs to facilitate conversations about the intersectionality of race, gender, identity and a host of other issues that affect behavior guidance, relationships, and curriculum. Lastly, Shatter the System offers activities, exercises, strategic equity planning ideas, and equity auditing questions to assist school and other similar organizations to transform their schools to center and advance equity. It also is a clarion call for those leaders to leverage their power, positions, and privileges to honor the dignity of others and create allyships and cross-cultural alliances for social change.