Morgan State University and the WOCEC Announce Partnership
The National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED) at Morgan State University announces a strategic partnership with the Women of Color Education Collaborative (WOCEC) to advance NCEED’s Teachers and School Leaders Pillar. The partnership is designed to address the urgent need for diverse leadership in K–12 education as well as better understand, through rigorous research, those experiences of school leaders. Funding will support peer-to-peer summits, career development initiatives, mentorship programs, professional learning, and research on women of color in leadership.
“Core to NCEED’s mission is conducting research that illuminates the causes and manifestations of educational disparities. NCEED seeks to build coalitions and mobilize resources to eliminate these disparities.This partnership represents a powerful step toward reshaping the leadership pipeline in public education. By investing in women of color as leaders, mentors, and researchers, we are not only closing opportunity gaps—we are redefining what excellence and equity look like in our schools,” said Dr. Meria Carstarphen, Director of NCEED.
The WOCEC builds a diverse network of women leaders through executive coaching, peer connection, and support for those in demanding roles. “When students see leaders who reflect their communities, it expands their sense of what’s possible. The WOCEC is committed to supporting women of color in high-profile, high-stress, high-impact roles.The partnership with NCEED strengthens this mission by aligning leadership development with research and systemic change,” said Dr. Stephanie Wood-Garnett, President, WOCEC.
What’s on Your Summer Reading List?
What’s on your summer reading list? Here’s some of what we hope to tackle this summer, as we look to renewal, empowerment, and new knowledge and skills.
We Should All Be Feminists (2014): With humor and levity, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century—one rooted in inclusion and awareness. She shines a light not only on blatant discrimination but also on the more insidious, institutional behaviors that marginalize women around the world, in order to help readers of all walks of life better understand the often masked realities of sexual politics. Throughout, she draws extensively on her own experiences—in the U.S., in her native Nigeria, and abroad—offering an artfully nuanced explanation of why the gender divide is harmful for women and men alike.
The Young Lords: A Radical History (2020): Johanna Fernández has written a groundbreaking account of the Puerto Rican activist group that emerged in late-1960s New York City. Drawing on a decade of research, including oral histories and newly uncovered government surveillance records, Fernández traces the Young Lords’ transformation from a Chicago street gang into a revolutionary organization that fought for racial and economic justice. The book explores the group’s grassroots campaigns for health care, housing, education, and police accountability, while also examining their role in the broader civil rights and Black Power movements. Fernández highlights the Young Lords’ radical vision, internal struggles, and lasting impact on American activism, offering a nuanced and deeply researched portrait of one of the most influential yet understudied groups of the era.
The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table (2019):
Drawing on knowledge gained from her past career as a fundraising consultant to top colleges across the country, author Minda Harts now brings her powerhouse entrepreneurial experience as CEO of The Memo to this book. With wit and candor, she acknowledges “ugly truths” that keep women of color from having a seat at the table in corporate America. Providing straight talk on how to navigate networking, office politics, and money, while showing how to make real change to the system, The Memo offers support and long-overdue advice on how women of color can succeed in their careers.
The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North (2025): In her new book Michelle Adams delves into the landmark 1974 Supreme Court case Milliken v. Bradley, a case that effectively halted efforts to desegregate schools across northern U.S. cities by ruling that suburban districts could not be compelled to participate in metropolitan-wide desegregation plans. Adams chronicles the determined activism in Detroit aimed at integrating schools amidst the challenges of white flight, housing segregation, and political resistance. The book highlights the ambitious “metropolitan remedy” proposed by federal judge Stephen Roth, which sought to bridge city-suburb divides to achieve racial balance in education. However, the Supreme Court’s decision curtailed this initiative, reinforcing systemic inequalities that persist today.
Seeking Principals: Apply Now! 2025 WOCEC National District Pathway Fellowship
A 2024 RAND Corporation report surveying 156 districts found inconsistent support for principal development, especially for central office readiness. In response, the WOCEC is launching a new program to strengthen leadership pipelines and prepare principals for district-level roles.
Applications are now open for the WOCEC’s 2025 National District Pathway Fellowship Program—a unique, five-month leadership experience designed by and for women of color principals across the country. If you are a school leader with five or more years of experience and are considering a district-level leadership role in the future, this fellowship is for you.
It brings together a select cohort of school leaders and provides:
- Executive coaching from seasoned experts who understand the unique challenges of leadership
- Professional development tailored to real-world demands, including:
- Strategic communications
- Navigating district and board relations
- Budgeting and resource allocation
- Conflict management
- Self-care and sustainability
- A powerful network of sister-leaders who inspire, support, and grow together
The program includes five virtual sessions and is designed to fit the schedules of working professionals. Cost is $799.
2025 Fellowship Cohort Dates (virtual, 3:00–5:30 pm ET):
- September 18, 2025
- October 2, 2025
- October 23, 2025
- November 13, 2025
- January 15, 2026
👉 Click here to apply and join a transformative network of women changing the face of school leadership.
WOCEC’s Leadership Conference this October: We Need Your Help!
The WOCEC is planning its 2025 fall leadership conference, and we want to hear from you. Click here to take our simple survey, to help us plan our conference – and thank you!
