Letter to the Editor: Race in International School Leadership

I enjoyed the opinion piece “More ‘American’ Than America: Race in International School Leadership” in TIE’s April issue. The time has come for international schools to address the issue of diversity—or lack thereof—among their leadership ranks.

The diversity of students, and to a lesser extent teachers, from all over the world is a hallmark of international education. However, school heads and top administrators in international schools do not reflect the cultural diversity of the students they serve.

International schools are found in virtually every country in the world, with students from all races, cultures, and ethnicities, but the heads of most schools seem to be overwhelmingly white and male.

Clearly, it should be a mission of international schools to cultivate diverse talent and promote it to school leadership positions, so that the administration reflects the diversity of the students it serves. Doing so will send a powerful message to each and every student—regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity—that he or she can aspire to a leadership position in the field of his or her choice.

As much as I liked the piece, I was disappointed when I noticed that the author chose to use the pseudonym “Henry S. Adams” rather than his/her real name.

Mr. Adams, if you firmly believe in the need for international schools to increase diversity in the leadership ranks, why hide behind a pseudonym? Would there be negative backlash if you revealed your identity?

This only further highlights the need to pursue this goal, especially if those promoting it feel they can’t speak up without facing reprisal.

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