Global displacement and local contexts: a case study of U.S. urban educational policy and practice

ABSTRACT

A growing corpus of interdisciplinary scholarship focuses on migration, particularly the increasing intensity of forced migration, or displacement, and the sociocultural, political, and symbolic dimensions of global resettlement. Yet, there are limited empirical studies on how U.S. educators in urban contexts address these processes, including but not limited to displacement-based trauma and associated student needs. While educational scholarship has examined structural issues affecting increased educator burnout, a research paucity also exists regarding how educators experience relevant stress related to these dynamics. This article presents findings from a multi-method qualitative case study that examined how high school educators leveraged available educational policy and practice supports to address refugee and hurricane displaced student needs. Our research underscores multi-level system complexity that influences school-related resettlement processes, and specifically as relevant to supporting student mental health and mitigating educator stress. Utilizing a critical and social ecological theoretical approach, our findings offer a framework for anti-deficit, cultural and linguistically responsive, and trauma-informed student practices, who in rebuilding a new home in the U.S., can experience continued and new forms of marginalization. Implications for educational research and leadership practice are discussed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University at Buffalo, SUNY Community of Excellence for Global Health Equity and the Graduate School of Education.

Notes on contributors

Melinda Lemke

Melinda Lemke is an Assistant Professor of Educational Policy at the University at Buffalo, SUNY.  Her research focuses broadly on neoliberal educational reform, the politics of education, global displacement, and gender-based violence – and is shaped by previous work in sexual assault prevention and a career in U.S. urban secondary public education.

Amanda Nickerson

Amanda Nickerson is a Professor of School Psychology and Director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Her research focuses broadly on school safety and building social-emotional strengths of youth, with a particular emphasis on bullying and other forms of violence and victimization.

Jennifer Saboda

Jennifer Saboda is a doctoral candidate in Educational Administration at the University at Buffalo, SUNY and Director of Alternative and Special Education for Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. Her dissertation research focuses on supports for female superintendents and gendered disproportionality within the profession.