The central offices of school districts have the potential to drive equitable teaching and learning practices, but achieving this goal necessitates a significant transformation to many longstanding practices, aiming to prioritize, uplift and honor the knowledge, cultures and achievements of students who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx and students of color. 

These insights to improve education stem from recent research commissioned by the Wallace Foundation and conducted by Meredith I. Honig and Lydia R. Rainey of the District Leadership Design Lab at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The authors created a self-study guide to help districts learn the latest research on how central offices matter to equitable teaching and learning, and to identify starting places and next steps.

The interactive toolkit is designed for individuals and groups who want to strengthen their positive impact on students in ways that are research-based and forward-thinking. The goal is making significant changes that can help reimagine the role of the central office.

The authors write, “central offices were set up over a century ago to handle business and regulatory functions. Today’s schools require a fundamentally new approach, due to larger schools and classes, as well as changing demographics. This guide will lead you through exercises to rethink the role of your district central office and, most importantly, help to reimagine its role in meeting the diverse needs of all students. The self-study guide will help sharpen your vision of your own work and deepen your understanding of changes in other parts of the central office that may have implications for their own operations.”

Photo Credit: Cover of the Report