The House Is on Fire: A Reckoning of Leadership and DEI Initiatives in Predominantly White Schools

Abstract

Sam Patrick, a White female superintendent is in her fourth year leading the Douglasville School District, a high-performing, predominantly White suburban district that has a long history of unacknowledged and unchecked racism and racial disparities. Sam is driven to embrace a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda and move the district in a new direction. The central conflict in the case is the district response to a racist ZOOM bombing incident involving a Black Assistant Principal and the n-word. This is a useful case for district leadership/ superintendency courses and professional development. Authors suggest exploring the issues through one or more of these frameworks: equity-focused leadership, culturally responsive leadership, social justice leadership, and anti-racist solidarity.