Leading During Crisis: State and Local Education Leaders' Equity Focused Approaches During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated equity issues in education, spanning race, disability, language, and socioeconomic status. However, few studies examine the ways that district or state educational leaders consider equity in their decision-making during a crisis. The purpose of this study is to examine how K-12 state and local leaders conceptualized equity and actualized equitable policies and practices during the pandemic. We conducted a multi-level case study, interviewing state and local-level educational leaders (n = 64) from five school districts in the state of Michigan. Our findings reveal that leaders formed equity visions focused on meeting students' individual needs, which were enacted differently at the state and local levels. Our findings demonstrate the need for partnerships across educational levels to promote equity-oriented change in systems, practices, and policies. Implications of our study extend beyond the COVID-19 pandemic to other crises, such as natural disasters or acts of violence, that can exacerbate inequities within education.