Coalition-Based Grassroots Activist Research by Doctoral Students in Resistance to Neoliberalism, Using Social Media for Local Dissemination

Abstract

This activist research story describes the use of research by an urban multi-racial, multi-SES, citywide grassroots coalition in Indianapolis. This coalition was formed when a small group of local education activists, Black ministers, and community folks met in 2015 to resist the neoliberal takeover of the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), a coalition which came to be named the IPS Community Coalition. For this activist story, we present a brief review of neoliberalism in general and in education, the emergence of neoliberalism in education in Indianapolis, and a brief history of the IPS Community Coalition. Next, we describe how the research presented here originated from this coalition, how it was conducted by a local university professor who was one of those who started the Coalition and who was working with doctoral students doing a research project, and what the methodology was. We then discuss how social media was used as the main local venue for publicizing the research results, how the use of social media changed the ways we understand research and the ways we present research results, and how social media was used for research dissemination. Next, we analyzed quantitative data on race and SES demographics of students and teachers, years teaching experience, math and English Language Arts academic measures by race and SES, discipline rates by race and SES, expenditures, and staff/student ratios, all publicly available through the Indiana Department of Education. Examples of how the results were presented on social media are included. Finally, we discuss the implications of this research for research theory and methodology, for activist use of research and research methodologies, and for the use of social media for local activist research dissemination.

Notes

1 Scheurich, the university professor in this piece, was one of the five people that started the Coalition. The “history” of the Coalition presented here is based on his experience as a member.

2 Demographically, the Coalition is about half Black and half white with representation from income groups from low income to educated class professionals. Scheurich was one of the five people that started the Coalition. The “history” of the Coalition presented here is based on his experience as a member.

3 See the “IPS Community Coalition” on Facebook.

4 The Indiana law establishing the possibility of “innovation” schools was drawn from model legislation developed by ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council), an organization created by neoliberals to develop state level legislation. Revelations about and critiques of ALEC are now common (e.g., Anderson & Donchik, 2016).

5 Based on local research, these innovation school board were typically made up of individuals from outside of Indiana who were potential donors and/or active members of the school privatization networks.

6 Three quarters of the doctoral students are Black (2 female, 4 male) and two are white (both female). The professor is a white male.

7 The IPS Community Coalition mentioned earlier.