Our Core Values

Leadership for Educational Equity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan leadership development organization working to end the injustice of educational inequity by inspiring and supporting a diverse set of leaders with experience advocating for equity to engage civically and politically.

Through one-on-one coaching, fellowships, workshops, and resources, LEE works to develop and inspire its members individually and collectively across all disciplines — as policymakers, advocates, elected leaders and community organizers. We believe that when a diverse group of leaders, grounded in their experience with inequity, are in leadership roles, they will serve as a transformative force for and with students, communities and the broader movement for educational equity.

LEE is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and works diligently to lift up the leadership of staff and members who represent communities most directly impacted by the injustice of educational inequity. We aim to foster a workplace rooted in the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that we also seek in our communities. As such, we value each LEE member and staff member’s unique background and experiences and believe these differences will help strengthen the movement for educational equity. Staff receive ongoing professional development related to the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and behaviors necessary to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. Read more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Our Core Values

Meaningful Impact
We work to meaningfully and measurably ensure that all children have the opportunity to attain an excellent education and achieve their potential. We understand there is no single set of solutions that will work in every community. We encourage our members to critically engage and develop impactful, thoughtful solutions. Ultimately, our guiding question is, “How will this create life-changing opportunities for all children in our communities?”

Member-Driven
We exist to help our members have the greatest possible impact on opportunities available to children in their communities. Our programming, resources, and strategies are designed to increase the engagement and effectiveness of our members working at all levels to pursue educational equity.

Leadership
Achieving educational equity requires bold solutions from informed and purposeful leaders grounded in the experience of teaching in low-income communities and the deep belief in the potential of all children. We believe that when our members reach positions of influence, they will help to change policies to ensure all children can receive an excellent education.

Collective Action
All of us have a role to play in achieving equity, and our impact will be greater if we are organized and connected. We help our members to build power and amplify their collective voice. We also work to connect our members with partners in the broader movement for educational equity.

All Voices
We will succeed in our mission only if we actively engage all of our members and work side by side with communities to bring the full diversity of solutions and perspectives to these challenges. In particular, we actively seek the voices of the individuals who share the racial and economic backgrounds of students most impacted by pervasive inequality, because they can bring an essential perspective to education policymaking that has traditionally been underrepresented.

Continuous Learning
As a young organization, we operate with an entrepreneurial spirit, learn from our experiences and continuously improve. As we work to build the leadership capacity of our members and their impact, we operate with a sense of urgency and an emphasis on action and learning.