Black parents deserve school leaders who understand them

Every Black parent should be able to walk into their child’s school and feel like a partner, not a problem to be managed.

That may sound simple, but for too many Black families, it is not the reality. Parents enter schools with questions about academics, discipline, safety and whether their child is truly being seen. Too often, they also wonder whether raising a concern will label them as “difficult” or follow their child back into the classroom.

This is why who leads our schools matters.

As a former middle school teacher, school board member and now an education advocate, I have seen how much a principal shapes the culture of a building. Principals influence how families are welcomed, how discipline is handled and what expectations are set for every child. Research shows strong principals are associated with better student achievement and attendance, stronger teacher retention and healthier school climates.

But leadership is also about trust, and for Black families, representation can be an important part of building it.

Black students make up roughly 42% of Louisiana’s public school enrollment, yet the latest federal data found only 28% of the state’s public school principals are Black. Nationally, Black educators represented about 10% of public school principals in 2020-21, compared with about 15% of students.

Children notice who holds authority. So do parents.

A Black principal may understand, from lived experience, why a parent worries that a child is being disciplined more harshly than classmates. They may recognize that a grandmother attending every conference is central to that child’s family. They may know that a parent working two jobs who cannot make a 2 p.m. meeting is not disengaged.

None of this means a Black principal is automatically a great principal, or that only Black educators can serve Black children well. Effective leadership requires preparation, skill, high expectations and a commitment to every student. But pretending representation does not matter ignores what families tell us and what research continues to show.

Representation also cannot stop at the principal’s office. Superintendents decide which principals are hired, how dollars are spent and what districts expect on family engagement, discipline and achievement.

Trust changes what schools can accomplish. When parents trust the person leading a school, they are more likely to speak up early when something is wrong and to ask about reading progress, advanced coursework, special education or discipline. A leader who knows the community can turn a school from a building families visit when there is a problem into a place where they feel ownership.

To get there, districts in Louisiana and across the country must think beyond simply recruiting more Black educators. We need pathways that help talented Black teachers become assistant principals, principals and superintendents; meaningful mentorship and preparation; and working conditions that make strong leaders want to stay.

We also need parents at the table. Ask Black families what makes them trust a school and whether they feel heard before decisions are made about their children. Then do something with the answers.

For generations, Black parents have been told that getting involved in their children’s education is essential. They already know that. The question schools should ask is whether they have built a leadership culture that welcomes that involvement.

Our children deserve principals who see their brilliance. Our families deserve leaders who see them as partners. And our schools will be stronger when the people making decisions reflect, understand and genuinely know the communities walking through their doors every morning.

Tramelle Howard is the Louisiana state director for The Education Trust, where he works to advance educational equity and opportunity for students.