On Leadership: What stories are we telling about our changing society?

Abstract

The release of new U.S. census data led many pundits to opine about what demographic changes mean for the future of the country. But, as Joshua P. Starr explains, educators have been watching their classrooms and schools become less white for many years. What’s important now is not the change itself but how we interpret the change. The stories people tell about past and present changes can affect their response to that change. Leaders who encounter resistance as they propose new equity initiatives can benefit from listening to the stories of those who are wary to try to understand the reason for their resistance.