PROCEEDINGS FROM THE
2007 UCEA CONVENTION
The 2007 UCEA Convention theme, "Fostering Compassion and Understanding Across Borders: An International Dialogue on the Future of Educational Leadership" was consistent with the message given by the Dalai Lama in an address at the University at Buffalo in September 2006. In it, he said, "The world has emerged from a century of bloodshed and violence, in part because education has failed to pay sufficient attention to inculcating values of the heart." He called upon educational institutions “from kindergarten to the university to instill compassion and understanding in order to turn the 21st century into a century of dialogue.”
As countries across the globe become increasingly interdependent, it is surprising how little we know about the educational systems of other nations. For example, how do educational leadership and policy address issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation. and disability across and within other nations? How do educational leaders prepare to engage practitioners in reflective practice?
This UCEA Convention theme served as an invitation to participants from diverse geographic, cultural and political contexts to share their perspectives about theory, research, policy and practice in educational leadership and administration. Moreover, this convention was intended to be an opportunity for members of an expanding UCEA community to engage in dialogue that promotes compassion for and understanding of schooling among educators across international borders. Below is a representative list of issues deserving of examination from diverse geographic, cultural and political perspectives:
• How are the underlying goals, values and purposes of education defined and enacted? For example, how are social justice and equity defined and enacted? What is the role of civic engagement in education?
• How is educational leadership defined, developed, enacted and determined effective, and to what ends? For example, how do we prepare school leaders to be culturally responsive and promote academic success and global citizenship for all children?
• How are schooling processes created and sustained to be more responsive to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and/or physical and learning disabilities?
• How do national policies affect educational leadership, educational reform, teaching and learning? For example, what effects have accountability measures and high stakes, standardized testing had on curricula, pedagogy and other educational processes?
• How is education funded? How are these resources distributed across schools? How is funding used to promote improvements in teaching and learning?
• What leadership practices and/or organizational factors promote compassion, understanding, dialogue and action within the school and/or the community?
• How has technology impacted the educational landscape?
• What is the role of research in improving educational leadership and/or educational policies?
• How can cross-national research be successfully conducted?