Dr. Patricia Virella Wrote Article for PBS NewsHour Classroom’s Educator Voice Blog

Dr. Patricia Virella, Assistant Professor of Urban Educational Leadership, recently wrote for PBS NewsHour Classroom’s Educator Voice Blog.

Dr. Virella wrote about her daughter being called a racial slur, their reactions, and advice to other parents. Dr. Virella stated, “I’ve worked in schools in New York City for more than 10 years and received my doctorate in educational leadership, yet I felt ill-equipped at first to handle this situation because this was my daughter. She is my sweet girl who loves horses and sings all the time. I recalled my training and began to devise a plan that would demand accountability and share the impact of this event on our family.”

She added, “I wish I could say that this incident’s impact decreases with time. It shows up in conversations or recollections about the school year. I think we tamp it down in order to endure. While there is no advice I can offer to assist in the everlasting trauma if something similar happens to your child, advocating for your child in these ways may help in demanding a change.”

Dr. Virella applies critical lenses and qualitative methods to investigate how school leaders enact equity-oriented leadership when crises occur. Virella also investigates how educational reform policies shape school leaders’ equity-orientation and impact districts that serve marginalized communities. She seeks to answer research questions to enable transformation and liberation in school leaders, districts and policies.