Meagan Richard
Biography
Dr. Richard's research centers justice-centered educational leadership, including dimensions of how leaders practice social justice, how to prepare such leaders, and how hostile policies intersect with these leaders’ work. Her research has been recognized by AERA’s Division A, the AERA Leadership for School Improvement SIG, and the Leadership for Social Justice SIG. Dr. Richard also has a strong track record of teaching and mentoring aspiring leaders and academics within university settings.
Area of Expertise
Justice-centered school leadership; Justice-centered leadership preparation; Social justice in educational settings; Urban educational policy; Neoliberalism; Education law; Improvement science and leadership
Degrees
Ph.D., Policy Studies in Urban Education, University of Illinois Chicago
M.Ed., Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment, University of Illinois Chicago
M.S., Applied Sociology, Texas State University
B.A., History, Wellesley College
Professional Publications & Contributions
- Nguyen, C., Richard, M., & Deolindo, T. (Accepted). Defining social justice leadership: A review of the literature. Invited for Submission to Special Issue of Review of Research in Education.
- Richard, M. (2025). The limits of free speech: The intersection of First Amendment rights and justice-centered school leadership. Journal of Educational Change, Online First. s10833-025-09537-0
- *Gribble, A., *Simpson, E., & Richard, M. (2025). Quiet resistance: Drawing on covert advocacy research to understand school leadership within the current anti-trans context. Leading & Managing, 31(1), 36-51.
- Salisbury, S., & Richard, M. (2025). Leading beyond the school walls: Understanding principal community activism. The Urban Review, Online First.
- Richard, M. & *Cameron, A. (2025). “Attacked, silenced, and disrespected”: Navigating white fragility in a conversation about race within a principal preparation program classroom. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 28(2), 86-100.
- Richard, M. & Cosner, S. (2024). Centering equity within principal preparation and development: An integrative review of the literature. Education Sciences, 14(9), 944.
- Richard, M. (2024). A framework of justice-centered leadership practice: A qualitative, multidistrict study. Journal of Educational Administration, 62(5), 497-512.