2. Orchestrating a Community of Diverse Educational Equity Leaders with Rebecca Cheung

Equity Leadership Now!

In Episode 2, Rebecca Cheung, director of the 21CSLA State Center, delves into her leadership journey and discusses the crucial intersection of equity, leadership, and public education with Professor and 21CSLA Chair Jabari Mahiri.

Cheung shares her accidental path to leadership shaped by her experiences as a first-generation immigrant and Asian American. Her realization in college that giving back to the system was essential motivated her leadership journey. Drawing from her musical background, Cheung highlights how her skills in orchestration and collaboration have been instrumental in achieving shared visions.
Cheung also discusses equity consciousness, where she emphasizes the importance of critiquing existing practices for inequity and working towards inclusive systems. She underlines the significance of elevating and supporting leaders from marginalized communities in schools to drive equity-conscious change. Cheung advocates for more research on leadership development from an equity perspective and reflects on her early negative schooling experiences that led her to reimagine education as inclusive.
The episode explores the importance of leaders as continuous learners and the potential of digital tools in enhancing accessibility and accommodations in professional learning. Cheung underscores the necessity of embracing new ways of learning and engaging with diverse school communities to promote marginalized students' academic achievement.
Equity Leadership Now! hosts conversations with equity-conscious leaders from pre-K through university settings who transform structures and strategies for educating students, particularly for those from historically marginalized communities.