(2024). "This Is My Hill to Die On": Effects of Far-Right Conservative Pushback on US English Teachers and Their Classroom Practice. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, v23 n3 p317-331. Purpose: From book challenges to anti-critical race theory and anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning legislation, US English teachers have been on the receiving end of a considerable amount of far-right conservative pushback. This study aims to explore the effects of conservative pushback on individual English teachers and their classroom practice. What pushbacks have individual English teachers faced? How has pushback impacted their teaching? What strategies have they developed for navigating pushback? Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study explores secondary English teachers' reported experiences with conservative backlash as reported in 15 semi-structured interviews conducted between May 2022 and August 2023. Findings: Participants reported feeling the pressure of increased levels of pushback, and many reported censoring their book selections to avoid additional public scrutiny. At the same time, they also described a range of strategies they… [Direct]
(2024). Divided by Policy, United by Resilience: Using Transformative Pedagogy to Impact Prospective Teachers in All Contexts. Education Policy Analysis Archives, v32 n62. As American teacher educators and teachers are being roiled by restrictive legislation around critical race theory and divisive concepts in some states, our investigation explored the impact of critical communities of practice (CoP) on redesigning and teaching introduction to education courses with a transformative lens. This manuscript details the collaboration of four equity-minded teacher educators, each representing unique institutional and political contexts. While two authors taught in states which promote culturally sustaining pedagogies, the other two authors taught in states that had passed laws restricting the professional autonomy of educators and honest discussions of race and racism. Participation in this critical CoP as a support group enabled us to better understand and navigate our dichotomous policy contexts and renewed our commitment to teaching prospective teachers to be politically conscious and empowered to teach in anti-racist ways. Our CoP was instrumental in… [PDF]
(2024). We's Tied Boss: The Lived Experiences of Black Professional Staff at a Historically White Institution during The Black Lives Matter Movement. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of Memphis. Although research has been conducted on the lived experiences of Black student affairs professionals and academic advisors at Historically White Institutions (HWIs), the literature is scant in its representation of the larger body of Black Professional Staff (BPS) and their experiences. BPS are undervalued and disregarded and are a vital part of the fabric of HWIs. Drawing on Critical Race Theory in Education, anti-Black racism, and plantation politics, the purpose of this critical race methodology study was to describe how Black Professional Staff experienced and navigated racism at an HWI in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM). This study also explored how the participants defined resistance and engaged in acts of resistance. The following research questions guided this study: (1) How do Black Professional Staff experience and navigate racism at a Historically White Institution in the Mid-South during the Black Lives Matter Movement? (a) What are the dehumanizing… [Direct]
(2024). An Examination of Educational Leadership Preparation in Ontario: Are Principals Prepared to Lead Equitably?. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, n204 p41-54. In response to the changing demographics of schools in Canada and to efforts to better equip principals to challenge inequity, leadership preparation programs have adopted new policies focusing on leading with an equity lens. However, studies have demonstrated a disconnect between what is covered in these leadership programs and how school principals actually perceive their ability to lead equitably and work with diverse learners. Six current school principals and vice principals in Ontario, Canada who have successfully completed a Principal Qualification Program course were interviewed to understand their perceptions of the program's ability to prepare them to lead and of concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The racial experiences and identities of each participant shaped their definitions of EDI as well as their understanding of difference. The findings indicate several critical areas of change for principal preparation programs in Ontario: training guidelines,… [PDF]
(2024). Examining Administrator Perspectives on Educational Experiences for ELL Students with Disabilities. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Northwest Nazarene University. School administrators are key components in improving educational experiences for ELL students with disabilities. However, no studies have assessed how administrators perceive equitable school experiences for ELL students with disabilities in the Pacific Northwest. This qualitative study included semistructured interviews with 12 school administrators in the Pacific Northwest to identify perceptions of how administrators distinguish equitable educational experiences for ELL students with disabilities while utilizing a Disability Critical Race Theory lens. Seven themes were identified: The Power of Perception, Effective Teaching and Instructional Strategies, Equity and Inclusive Practices, Barriers to Learning, Complexities of the Identification Process, Appropriate Curriculum, and Creating Success. The study's implications highlight the transformative role administrators can play in creating equitable educational experiences for ELL students with disabilities by fostering positive… [Direct]
(2022). A Love Letter to Educational Leaders of Color: "CREWing UP" with Critical Whiteness Studies. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v35 n7 p780-790. This essay applies Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness Studies towards affirming the collective existence, experience, and humanity of educational leaders of Color, who tend to experience systemic dismissing and invisibilizing within educational institutions. Like racial commentators such as James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates, this essay uses the genre of letter writing–specifically a love letter–as a way to cultivate intimacy and relationality with readers. The piece intentionally does so because whiteness, white supremacy, and racism enact violence in ways that require intentional healing rooted in humanizing, revolutionary, and decolonial love. Ultimately, this love letter urges scholars, particularly race and whiteness scholars, to "CREW UP," or "Catalyze Resistance & Emancipation With United Power," in such a way that provides the healing, collective coalition-building, and consciousness needed to eradicate whiteness, white supremacy, and racism…. [Direct]
(2024). Evaluating a National Biomedical Training Program Using QuantCrit: Revealing Disparities in Research Self-Efficacy for Women of Color Undergraduates. CBE – Life Sciences Education, v23 n4 Article 54. Program evaluation for interventions aimed at enhancing diversity can fall short when the evaluation unintentionally reifies the exclusion of multiple marginalized student experiences. The present study presents a Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) approach to program evaluation to understand outcomes for Women of Color undergraduates involved in a national biomedical training program called the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative. Using longitudinal data, we examined the impact of participation in the BUILD Scholars programs and BUILD-developed novel biomedical curriculum on undergraduate's research self-efficacy. Employing propensity score matching and multiple regression models, we found that Black women who participated in the BUILD scholars program reported higher research self-efficacy, whereas Latine and White undergraduate BUILD scholars had lower research self-efficacy. Additionally, Latine women who participated in novel biomedical… [Direct]
(2024). Unraveling the Impact of the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Investigating Racial Disparities in Disciplinary Practices. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of South Carolina. This action research study sought to examine ways to narrow the racial discipline gap in South Carolina's elementary schools. Employing both the Critical Race Theory and BlackCrit in schools as the theoretical frameworks, the research delved into the narratives of teachers in grades 3rd through 5th, exploring their encounters with school-based disciplinary practices. The study integrated Social-Emotional Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching to ultimately uncover implicit biases held by teachers that positioned Black students as less innocent compared to their White counterparts. The primary focus was to investigate the relationship between teachers' inequitable disciplinary practices and the frequency of office discipline referrals received by Black students. The study implemented an eight-week professional development for teachers focused on Culturally Responsive Teaching with a Social-Emotional Learning implementation. The study's findings and implications for teachers are… [Direct]
(2024). A Critical Policy Analysis of Book Bans in U.S. Public Higher Education as Marginalization of Intellectual Freedom. Online Submission, Paper presented at the Freedom and Authenticity International Interdisciplinary Conference (6th, Virtual, Aug 22-23, 2024). This conference paper presents the results of a critical public higher education policy analysis of book banning, censorship, and silencing of specific voices–usually those of marginalized voices and those who fight for the oppressed. United States public higher education seeks to provide an environment for intellectual freedom that allows college students to be exposed to new ideas and divergent perspectives that foster an intellectual life. Ideally, college students should encounter academic opportunities in higher education that enrich students' growth and worldviews. Yet, current trends in some U.S. states call for eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This includes attempts to stop "Woke" and critical race theory efforts across several U.S. states. This paper examines these conservative ideological criticisms in the context of intellectual suppression, voice dispossession, and silencing, thereby promoting socially reproduced intellectual… [PDF]
(2024). Intersectionality & Higher Education: Theory, Research, & Praxis, Third Edition. Peter Lang Publishing Group Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberl√© Crenshaw in 1989. Crenshaw, a scholar of law, critical race theory, and Black feminist legal theory, uses intersectionality to explain the experiences of Black women who–because of the intersection of their race, gender, and class–are exposed to exponential and interlocking forms of marginalization and oppression, often rendering them invisible. The third edition of "Intersectionality & Higher Education: Theory, Research, & Praxis" further documents and expands upon Crenshaw's articulation of intersectionality within the context of higher education. The text includes (a) theoretical and conceptual chapters on intersectionality; (b) empirical research and research-based chapters using intersectionality as a framework; and (c) chapters focusing on intersectional practices, all within higher education settings. The volume may prove beneficial for graduate programs in ethnic studies, higher education, sociology, student… [Direct]
(2024). Teachers' Perceptions of the Effects of Restorative Justice Practices in Inclusive Classrooms. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The George Washington University. The study investigates educators' perceptions of Restorative Justice Practices (RJPs) in inclusive classrooms, focusing on students with dis/Abilities, within the frameworks of Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, and Disability Studies (DisCrit). It aims to address a gap in the literature on equity in education, particularly the effects of RJPs on diverse student populations. Employing a qualitative, interpretive design with grounded theory for data analysis, the research seeks to understand the nuanced experiences of educators and their views on the impact of RJPs on both students with and without disabilities, and on the educators themselves. Despite limitations such as potential sample bias due to purposive sampling, the study ensures credibility through established methods and triangulation. This research contributes significantly to educational discourse, offering insights into the implementation of RJPs in a way that respects the varied needs of all students, thereby… [Direct]
(2024). Exploring the Journey of STEM Faculty into Justice-Centered Pedagogy. CBE – Life Sciences Education, v23 n4 Article 60. In higher education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), interlocking oppressions can lead to inequitable environments for those who hold marginalized identities. Instructors can play key roles in either exacerbating or mitigating these inequities through their pedagogical approaches and choice of curricular material. However, it remains unclear how instructors who self-identify as committed to justice achieve higher levels of consciousness around areas of injustice and develop the self-efficacy to dismantle barriers for students over time. Here, we draw upon critical race theory and critical white studies to investigate what events or life experiences influence STEM instructors to understand the importance of social justice and examine how STEM instructors use this understanding to drive pedagogical shifts. We find variations in the ways that instructors' experiences and identities shape their understanding of justice. In addition, we uncover factors that… [Direct]
(2024). "Escuchemos Las Voces Biling√ºes de Nuestros Educadores Rurales": Who and What Matters for the Education of Secondary English Learners in a Rural Florida School Community. Rural Educator, v45 n4 Article 3 p15-36. Guided by constructive epistemology and grounded in Greenwood's place-conscious education theory and critical race theory in education, (CRT), this narrative-informed qualitative study critically examines how the lived experiences of three bilingual educators shape their work with English Learners (ELs or multilingual learners, MLs) in a Florida rural school community. Primary data consist of videorecorded interviews and photo elicitation that illuminated teachers' told life narratives. Findings from this study demonstrate that the voices of the bilingual teachers matter for improving EL education in this rural community. The teachers' reflections about their "ontological-becoming," their engagement with the rural school community, and the inequities experienced by their EL students constantly shape and dictate their professional identities and instructional decisions in their work with ELs. Promising practices that matter for the education of ELs in this rural community… [PDF]
(2024). Cultural Adaptation of an Educator Social-Emotional Learning Program to Support Indigenous Students. School Psychology Review, v53 n4 p365-381. Supporting Indigenous students' social-emotional learning (SEL) is important given the systemic impact of colonialism that has contributed to their higher mental health and academic disparities compared to White students. One way to promote SEL is through professional development for educators, yet there has been little research on the development of SEL programs that are culturally responsive to Indigenous people and contexts. The purpose of this study is to highlight the process of culturally adapting a social-emotional program, "Educators Navigating and Generating Approaches for Genuine Empowerment" (ENGAGE), for educators at a school located in a tribal nation in the Rocky Mountain region. Driven by transformative SEL and tribal critical race theory, we coadapted ENGAGE with community members through community-based participatory research. Through thematic analysis, we examined the unique values and culturally responsive considerations that arose during the research… [Direct]
(2022). Unsung Heroes on Campus: Minority Veterans' Transition Experiences by Race. Journal of Higher Education, v93 n5 p769-791. This study explored the impact of race on the higher education transition experiences of three groups of male student veterans: Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Asian. Grounded in the premise of Critical Race Theory, especially Cabrera's Hegemonic Whiteness and Yosso's Cultural Capital, we collected and analyzed 17 student veterans' in-depth interviews centering the voices of the participants marginalized due to race, age, and veteran status. Findings confirm that student veterans of color face acute cultural alienation and racism on college campuses and enact various cultural capitals and strands of resiliency to cope, while also ascribing to beliefs of meritocracy and colorblindness inherited from their military service. Future research on student veterans should continue to examine the heterogeneity among student veterans, especially those located at the intersection of multiple marginalities, to provide an anti-racist portrayal of student veterans as a diverse population…. [Direct]