Social Justice and Leadership

10/09/2014

Social Justice and Leadership

Of course children benefit from positive feedback. But praise and rewards are not the only methods of reinforcement. More emphasis should be placed on appreciation-reinforcement related explicitly and directly to the content of the child's interest and efforts.
Lilian G. Katz

In his new book, Doing the Right Thing for Children, Maurice Sykes explains why a priority concern for early childhood leaders should be promoting social justice:

"My core value of social justice springs from being consciously aware and willing to surface issues and take action on behalf of individuals and groups that have been historically marginalized due to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, culture, or disability. Therefore, social justice is strongly rooted in my desire and my perceived obligation to make our society a better place — social justice is a driving force behind my leadership agenda.

"To promote social justice is to have a strong inclination not to stand quietly when someone is being treated unfairly. As a child, I often stepped in to help another child who was getting bullied, even at personal risk to myself. Now, as a leader in the field of early childhood education, I often step in when I feel that a child is being bullied or mistreated due to bad public policy, a biased perception of his race, class, language, or culture, or unfair instructional practices that place a child at a decided disadvantage. Exemplary leaders are required to point out injustices wherever they see them and often find themselves in the unenviable position of having to ask the question: Is this situation right, fair, and equitable?"

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