# data[].attributes.body
Sylvia Mendez at age 9 testified in court about her experiences when her parents sued the school district in a fight to de-segregate. This exemplifies parents' ability to advocate on behalf of their children, in the name of social justice.

# data[].attributes.body
Scanlan and Theoharis (2015) point out the importance of socially just leadership practices as essential and not solely the dependency on leaders’ characteristics being aligned with socially just values. We cannot simply believe in social justice; we must take action to reduce the barriers that our students face to reach their goals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Parents Protest for Education in Little Village

# data[].attributes.subject
Parents Protest for Education in Little Village

# data[].attributes.body
Peters (2010) and our class discussion on Joe Clark, the principal featured in Lean on Me, demonstrate an example that may be considered intense but it was necessary to help improve student achievement at an urban public school that was at risk of closing. Joe Clark embodied a leadership style that was intent on pushing the limits in order to support students on an individual basis as well as overall to literally save the school.

# data[].attributes.body
As a parent myself, I recognize my own responsibility to my children’s educational experience; that perspective informs my educational leadership to ensure the parents in my school community are encouraged, supported, heard and engaged in meaningful ways.

# data[].attributes.body
Being a school leader is a responsibility. Being a socially just school leader is a way of life. I believe the incorporation of social justice is essential in school leadership, particularly in school districts that serve diverse student populations. The term diverse is meant to include all identities that students assert, including but not limited to: race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and socioeconomic status. Ensuring that ALL students are able to succeed at any educational level is the responsibility of ALL educators, and it is imperative that we not only believe that it IS possible, but that we foster an environment that actually makes it happen.

# data[].attributes.body
According to Peters (2010), there is no one-size-fits-all model of transformational leadership. She argues that context matters, given that each school building has its own culture, resources and unique student body.  Therefore, leaders have the responsibility to understand and connect with their school community in order to approach their leadership with a genuine ability to lead in a way that is inclusive and considering all students’ needs.

# data[].attributes.body
How we engage parents is equally important to whether we engage parents as school leaders Cooper (2010). Parents are essential to any conversation related to their children as they have unique expertise as caregivers and can be equally advocating for these students’ access to educational opportunities.

# data[].attributes.body
Scanlan and Theoharis (2015) contend that social justice is central to school leadership. Their social justice leadership chart provides detailed descriptions of how socially just leaders strive towards equity within the school while engaging the full school community and ensuring a culture that fosters access and inclusion; expanding the responsibilities outlined by the ISLLC (Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium) standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A fun-filled time of fellowship for our SOJO family! Saturday, October 14, 2017 at Greater Lawndale High School for Social Justice

# data[].attributes.body
Cooper, C.W. (2010). Educational leaders as cultural workers: Engaging families and school communities through transformative leadership. In S.D. Horsford (Ed.), New Perspective in Educational Leadership: Exploring Social, Political, and Community Contexts and Meaning (pp. 173-195). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Peters, A.L. (2010). Rethinking transformational leadership in schools: The influence of people, place, and process on leadership practice. In S.D. Horsford (Ed.), New Perspective in Educational Leadership: Exploring Social, Political, and Community Contexts and Meaning (pp. 29-46). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Scanlan, M. & Theoharis, G. (2015)Intersectionality in educational leadership. In G. Theoharis & M. Scanlan (Eds.), Leadership for increasingly diverse Schools (pp.1-10). New York, NY: Routledge.

# data[].attributes.body
The Little Village High School in Chicago was established as a result of parents’ protests in the community due to inadequate resources and overcrowding in existing high schools in the Little Village neighborhood. There are four schools within this campus that serves about 1,000 students. One of the campuses is named Social Justice High School. As school leaders, I believe we must have open door policies with our students and parents. We must give them a voice and not treat them as an inconvenience or as volunteers just to say we have them in the building.

# data[].attributes.body
Chance the Rapper is taking action and helping schools directly by funding programs for students to improve students' access to education in a meaningful and connected way. He is using his status as celebrity to make change possible for young people in his hometown, Chicago.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Watch Chance the Rapper Announce $2.2 Million Fund for Chicago Schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Chance the Rapper announced Friday that his SocialWorks organization has raised $2.2 million for the Chicago Public Schools' arts programs.