But he has spent the past few years building a case for the work that he leads—one he hopes is compelling to his community both inside and outside the school district. In Virginia, with a Republican governor who has taken aim at DEI , and a sometimes contentious and divided local school board, Harris navigated those choppy waters in to propose an equity plan for the school district. The ambitious plan—which covers three years and addresses discipline, staff hiring, access to rigorous coursework, and creating a public-facing equity data dashboard for the district—passed the school board unanimously.
Now the district—which boasts 64, students in 86 schools—posts its data for the public to see: which student groups are represented in rigorous classes, which face high rates of discipline, and if students feel a sense of belonging in their schools. Those students would become the leaders of school-based coalitions to address issues that impact inclusivity and belonging.
These coalitions, which are student-led groups supported by educators or staff, meet at least once a month, and brainstorm ways to change school culture. That manifests differently depending on the school: a mural in one, positivity notes, a diversity week, and a community club to make sure no one spends lunch alone. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I have often been, for lack of a better word, an anomaly. There are very few minority male teachers, when I taught high school social studies, both in South Carolina and in Northern Virginia. I can say that experience really stuck with me—not only the remainder of my teaching career, but as an administrator and at the department. For a lot of students, education is the only ticket to an improved lifestyle.
Single mom. And I think having those experiences They also need to be able to leverage partnerships. And then aligning [your work and goals] to something that already exists. Like, for example, our work is aligned to our strategic framework. Start with what you know. And then do a needs assessment, like what do you need in order to get to where you want to be? Students actually drive the work more than anything. So we have to be willing to listen to the students.
