Betina Hsieh

How do we create lasting systemic change in institutions designed to reproduce the status quo? Some might answer this question with responses related to mission, vision, resource allocation and investment, and talent. However, the path to creating sustainable changes in educational institutions is often obstructed by policy, institutional inertia, and ingrained systemic barriers. Work is sometimes reduced to a checkbox exercise aimed at compliance, rather than genuine transformation, leading to benefits only for groups traditionally supported by the established structures. For those striving for change, a sense of powerlessness can dominate, as structural constraints limit their agency and dilute their impact. Recognizing these realities, there can be no simple recipe or single formula that guarantees lasting change, particularly transformational change that shifts paradigms in ways that advance equity and inclusion. Instead of a formula, Systems Transformation for Equity in Education: Principles for Organizational Change introduces 6 key principles of organizational change. In order to engage in complex systems transformation for equity, we must: 1. Know the contexts that surround systems change; 2. Develop cohesive project plans and find appropriate funding for these plans; 3. Understand the centrality of leadership; 4. Work collectively towards equity through relationality, respect, and mutuality; 5. Reflect upon success and challenges; and 6. Ensure the institutionalization of systems transformation. The book is structured first to provide a broad overview of each principle, then to illustrate each using a case study of program change. Chapter One focuses on the principle of knowing the complex contexts that surround systems change. In this chapter, the book introduces the origins, objectives, complexities, diverse stakeholders and outcomes of the case study as well as contextual factors that should be considered in launching systems transformation. Chapter Two focuses on ensuring alignment in the design, development and enactment of transformative projects, including establishing an initial vision, using data to inform decision making and finding appropriate funding sources. Chapter Three focuses on the principle that Leadership matters in systems transformation for equity. This chapter highlights the importance of identifying a leadership team, providing clear team members' roles, and dividing tasks wisely. Chapter Four focuses on cultivating consensus and moving forward collectively in diverse stakeholder groups with competing priorities. Chapter Five focuses on the importance of reflecting upon success to expand the impact of systems transformation, adapting programs to stay responsive to changing contexts, and on navigating unanticipated challenges to initiative-based work. Chapter Six focuses on expanding impact and identifying ways to ensure the institutionalization of systems transformation. It addresses some key factors such as documenting and communicating the successes and challenges of the project, disseminating evaluation findings; creating a plan for when the grant funding ends, accessing new funding; identifying continuing and new stakeholders; developing ongoing products; developing collective language; and ensuring institutional buy-in. The final chapter tells the story of lessons learned from this process and what has happened to the focal program in the 2 years following the end of the grant funding, particularly given changing socio-political contexts. Perfect for courses such as: Principles of Organizational Change; Equity and Organizational Change; Foundations of Organization Change; Educational Leadership; Race, Equity, and Leading Educational Change; Education Policy Implementation

Drawing on in-depth interviews, this text examines how Asian American teachers in the US have adapted, persisted, and resisted racial stereotyping and systematic marginalization throughout their educational and professional pathways. Utilizing critical perspectives combined with tenets of Asian Critical Race Theory, Kim and Hsieh structure their findings through chapters focused on issues relating to anti-essentialism, intersectionality, and the broader social and historical positioning of Asians in the US. Applying a critical theoretical lens to the study of Asian American teachers demonstrates the importance of this framework in understanding educators’ experiences during schooling, training, and teaching, and in doing so, the book highlights the need to ensure visibility for a community so often overlooked as a "model minority", and yet one of the fastest growing racial groups in the US. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in the sociology of education, multicultural education, and teachers and teacher education more broadly. Those specifically interested in Asian American history and the study of race and ethics within Asian studies will also benefit from this book.

Drawing on in-depth interviews, this text examines how Asian American teachers in the US have adapted, persisted, and resisted racial stereotyping and systematic marginalization throughout their educational and professional pathways. Utilizing critical perspectives combined with tenets of Asian Critical Race Theory, Kim and Hsieh structure their findings through chapters focused on issues relating to anti-essentialism, intersectionality, and the broader social and historical positioning of Asians in the US. Applying a critical theoretical lens to the study of Asian American teachers demonstrates the importance of this framework in understanding educators’ experiences during schooling, training, and teaching, and in doing so, the book highlights the need to ensure visibility for a community so often overlooked as a "model minority", and yet one of the fastest growing racial groups in the US. This text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in the sociology of education, multicultural education, and teachers and teacher education more broadly. Those specifically interested in Asian American history and the study of race and ethics within Asian studies will also benefit from this book.