Prelims

Half Title Page

Policy Matters

Series Title Page

Transforming Education Through Critical Leadership, Policy and Practice

Series editors: Stephanie Chitpin, Sharon Kruse and Howard Stevenson

Transforming Education Through Critical Leadership, Policy and Practice is based on the belief that those in educational leadership and policy-constructing roles have an obligation to educate for a robust critical and democratic polity in which citizens can contribute to an open and socially just society. Advocating for a critical, socially just democracy goes beyond individual and procedural concerns characteristic of liberalism and seeks to raise and address fundamental questions pertaining to power, privilege and oppression. It recognizes that much of what has gone under the name of ‘transformational leadership’ in education seeks to transform very little, but rather it serves to reproduce systems that generate structural inequalities based on class, gender, race, (dis)ability and sexual orientation.

This series seeks to explore how genuinely transformative approaches to educational leadership, policy and practice can disrupt the neoliberal hegemony that has dominated education systems globally for several decades, but which now looks increasingly vulnerable. The series will publish high-quality books, both of a theoretical and empirical nature, that explicitly address the challenges and critiques of the current neoliberal conditions, while steering leadership and policy discourse and practices away from neoliberal orthodoxy towards a more transformative perspective of education leadership. The series is particularly keen to ‘think beyond’ traditional notions of educational leadership to include those who lead in educative ways – in social movements and civil society organizations as well as in educational institutions.

Title Page

Policy Matters: Perspectives, Procedures, and Processes

By

David C. Young

St. Francis Xavier University, Canada

Robert E. White

St. Francis Xavier University, Canada

And

Monica A. Williams

St. Francis Xavier University, Canada (Retired)

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL

First edition 2024

Copyright © 2024 David C. Young, Robert E. White and Monica A. Williams.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters' suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80382-482-6 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80382-481-9 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80382-483-3 (Epub)

Dedication

David Young would like to dedicate this book to the memory of his father, Clarke Young, and his grandmother, Emma Dawson.

Robert White dedicates this book to his parents, Dr Earle White and Winifred Mary White.

Monica Williams dedicates this book to her husband, Michael Williams, and their children, Kathleen, Mark and Anne Williams.

About the Authors

Dr David Young is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Education at St Francis Xavier University, Director of the Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership, as well as a Resident Fellow of the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government. Dr Young is the past Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Leadership and previously served as Chair of the Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Educational Studies. Dr Young is also an Editor of International Studies in Educational Administration, one of the oldest journals in the field of educational leadership. Dr Young's research is focused on the broad topic of educational administration and policy. More particularly, his current writing deals with issues pertaining to law and education.

Dr Robert White began his teaching career in 1972, and, since 2003, has been a member of the Faculty of Education at St Francis Xavier University, where he currently holds the position of Senior Research Professor. Dr White's research interests include educational administration and policy, postmodernity and globalization, qualitative research methodologies and critical pedagogy. Dr White is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Leadership in Education.

Dr White has also received numerous Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada grants to pursue his research. In 2013, he received the President's Research Award, granted by St Francis Xavier University.

Dr Monica Williams is a career educational leader who has held senior leadership positions in the Nova Scotia public education system. During 2017–2018, Dr Williams served as a commissioner on the Nova Scotia Commission on Inclusive Education. She subsequently joined the Faculty of Education at St Francis Xavier University as an Assistant Professor specializing in the leadership of inclusive education. Dr Williams' research interests include educational leadership, inclusive education and education policy, law and standards. Following her retirement from the university in 2022, Dr Williams was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

Preface

Policy Matters: Perspectives, Procedures, and Processes has been developed for educational leaders, practitioners and theoreticians. This book provides readers with the means to think critically and in so doing, understand policy initiatives and their ramifications. The goal is for theoreticians and practitioners to be able to understand the purpose of policy, how it may be effectively developed and efficiently implemented. Never have policy initiatives been so important and necessary. Neoliberal manifestations, climate change, civil rights movements and governmental reactions to these and other global forces have made education in policy analysis, development and implementation crucial to educational leadership and the evolution of school systems, at home and abroad.

Policy is often created for purposes of accruing power, expanding privilege and further marginalizing oppressed groups. Educating policy developers and consumers is but one means of harnessing the positive power of policy while restraining baser instincts that tend to pervert policy for the betterment of the more powerful hegemonic elite. Simply put, this book strives to put policy into perspective by demystifying it and making it accessible to a wide audience. This book is premised on the notion that policy development, analysis and implementation, both traditionally and historically, has sought to preserve the status quo rather than to formulate policy that is liberating and transformative. This book also focuses on the future, including the creation of educational policies that are grounded in research-based theories, practices and frameworks, and dedicated to strengthening teaching and learning for the benefit of all students.

This volume explores how policy formulation may truly be transformative in combatting hegemonic and neoliberal incursions into the educational arena. This book addresses some of the challenges associated with current neoliberal conditions which have spawned a plethora of social and structural issues. It will appeal broadly to a myriad of formal and informal leaders within social movements and civil society organizations as well as in educational institutions. As such, this publication will strive to eliminate the theory/practice divide by uniting educational policy with educational reality in order to empower educators, education stakeholders and citizens to use policy, policy development and policy initiatives for the betterment of society in general.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the editors of the book series Transforming Education Through Critical Leadership, Policy and Practice: Stephanie Chitpin, Howard Stevenson and Sharon Kruse. They also extend a sincere debt of gratitude to the entire team at Emerald Publishing who have been unbelievably supportive as this book has unfolded.

David Young would also like to recognize the love and support of his wife Lori and daughter Emma. On more than one occasion they overlooked and tolerated his absence as he engaged in writing and research. He also wishes to acknowledge his mother, Barbara Ann Young, for all that she has done and continues to do.

Robert White would also like to acknowledge the people who have supported him on this journey; you know who you are. Chhunly Tiv, Bopha Ong and their daughter, Cibo, have offered unstinting support throughout this process. A special debt of thanks is also due to Karyn Cooper, who allowed numerous projects to slide so that this volume could be completed in a timely fashion.

Monica Williams would also like to acknowledge the unfailing love and support of her husband Mike and their children, Kathleen, Mark and Anne, who have made it possible for her to contribute to the field of education in many ways, including this publication, which is her first book.