July 10, 2024, Savannah, Georgia – Leadership diversity is a growing need in education. This growing need is the spark behind the birth of a dynamic professional learning network for women of color in the US and Canada.
Education Week has reported that only around 3% of American K-12 superintendents are women of color while 54% of students nationwide are diverse. The diversity of the educator leadership workforce has not kept pace with the growing diversity of our classrooms, and this presents an array of challenges, including a lack of representation.
To address this leadership and diversity gap, the Women of Color Education Collaborative (WOCEC) launched in 2021. Led by Dr. Stephanie Wood-Garnett, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization provides a cohort model through which current and aspiring educational leaders can interact and empower each other as leaders, build relationships, and elevate their skills through the array of professional development services that WOCEC provides.
“Our students need to see reflections of themselves in their school leader. Representation matters in setting a trajectory for success” says Dr. Lorna Lewis, former president of the New York State Council of School Superintendents and WOCEC executive coach.
“I am thrilled to lead an organization that champions and supports women leaders,” said Wood-Garnett. “I understand the unique challenges diverse women leaders face in organizations. When women come together and develop trust and community, we create a foundation for collaboration, support, and lasting positive change in our communities.”
Dr. Jamal Watson, executive editor at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education who also serves as a professor and associate dean of graduate studies at Trinity Washington University, has been tapped to chair WOCEC’s board of directors and shared that the work of WOCEC is critically important to helping to expand the talent pool within K-12 and higher education.
“WOCEC is taking the lead to formulate solutions and actionable outcomes that will harness resources and contacts to provide access and equity to all,” said Watson. “Under President Wood-Garnett’s leadership, I am excited to see how this organization and network will continue to expand in the upcoming years.”
Registration is now open for the WOCEC National Conference: Fostering Community, Support, and Empowerment, October 10 -12, 2024, in Washington, DC.
For more information, follow WOCEC on LinkedIn and visit our website at www.wocedcollaborative.org to learn more about how you can be part of this empowering movement.