Educational Leaders and the Acknowledgment Gap

Abstract

This article takes as its premise the idea that an a priori acknowledgment gap exists relative to other kinds of gaps described in the literature on educational disparities between racial and ethnic groups. The authors define the acknowledgment gap as a disparity between some educational leaders and the communities they serve in understanding and valuing the roles of historical context and cultural, social, and economic capital in facilitating or hindering students’ academic success. A brief summary of gap discourse is included, providing context for the authors’ suggestion that an acknowledgment gap—existing as it does, as a mental state—precedes, explains, and actually lays foundation for the existence of other kinds of gaps describing educational disparities. Examples of the acknowledgment gap are followed by suggested actions that educational leaders can take to reduce it. School leaders working to narrow the acknowledgment gap, the authors suggest, will be creating a stronger platform on which to stand in their ongoing fight to eliminate disparities in educational opportunities and achievement.