We can’t do this alone: Validating and inspiring social justice teaching through a community of transformative praxis

Abstract

Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), neoliberal policies, such as standardized curriculum, high-stakes tests, accountability measures, school choice, charter schools, value-added models and school privatization have pushed social justice teaching to the margins. As a result, many educators endure demoralization, teach in a state of fear and are driven out of the classroom. This article examined of how educators sustained and enhanced their ability to teach for social justice through a teacher inquiry group (TIG) that was founded by a teacher activist organization in Los Angeles, California, USA. Conducting a qualitative case study methodology and critical inquiry group design, data were collected over the course of an academic year through observations and document analysis with 25 teacher participants and semi-structured interviews with six core teacher participants across the teaching experience spectrum. Findings reveal that TIG members engaged in a collective and individual social justice process described here as a community of transformative praxis. Through a community of transformative praxis, participants pursued pedagogical goals, became students of their praxis and practiced social justice teaching, which led to being validated and inspired to teach for social justice. The article provides implications for research and practice that considers social justice teacher retention, teacher professional development, and re-imaging the purpose and possibilities of public education.

Keywords:

• Social justice teaching
• secondary education
• urban schools: critical professional development

Note

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Freedom schools follow the U.S. civil rights tradition of providing a culturally and politically relevant education to disenfranchised youth that is often missing in schools, with the goal of transforming societal injustice (Perlstein, 1990).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Oscar Navarro

Oscar Navarro is an Assistant Professor of Secondary Education at California Polytechnic State University’s School of Education in San Luis Obispo. His experience as a high school teacher and member of the People’s Education Movement in Los Angeles inform his research and teaching on social justice education, critical professional development and the schooling experiences of students of Colour.