#161: Beyond Policies & Promises: How Real Leaders Create Conditions for Equity Artwork

Coaching the Whole Educator

Coaching the Whole Educator is a podcast for instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and school leaders who want to strengthen their educators’ effectiveness and resilience, especially the ones who need it most. Each week, you’ll hear quick tips, proven strategies, and coaching mindsets designed to keep you on top of your coaching game.

This show is rooted in a human-centered approach, where we get things done through people’s humanity, not around it. Whether you’re new to instructional coaching or a seasoned instructional coach or leader looking for fresh perspective, you’ll learn how to focus on the mindsets and motivations driving unproductive behaviors. By getting to the root of resistance, you’ll discover how to build stronger relationships, lead with clarity, and create lasting impact in your school.

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Coaching the Whole Educator

#161: Beyond Policies & Promises: How Real Leaders Create Conditions for Equity

November 02, 2025 • Becca Silver • Season 3 • Episode 161

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In this powerful episode, Becca sits down with Dr. Anne Ishimaru and Dr. Dakota Irby, authors of Doing the Work of Equity Leadership for Justice and Systems Change, to unpack what it really means to lead for equity in today’s schools.

Together, they trace the evolution of equity leadership through four distinct phases: morning (where new roles and policies first take root), midday (when equity becomes embedded in systems), evening (as communities and intentional connections deepen), and night (when resistance and federal mandates challenge the work).

The conversation gets real about what it takes to sustain momentum through each phase, using data with purpose, centering student and parent voices, and investing in professional learning that drives genuine change.

Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies like applying targeted universalism, navigating relationships with challenging stakeholders, and creating school environments where adults learn and grow just as much as students do.

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