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Owner: Laura B. Kelly
Owner Email: kellyl@rhodes.edu
Paper Title: Teacher Opposition to So-Called Critical Race Theory Bans
Session Title: Seeking Truth and Pushing Back in the Era of Anti–Critical Race Theory
Paper Type: Paper
Presentation Date: 4/13/2023
Presentation Location: Chicago, IL
Descriptors: Critical Race Theory, Curriculum Policy and Reform, Educational Policy
Methodology: Qualitative
Author(s): Laura B. Kelly, Rhodes College; Aixa D. Marchand, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Laura A Taylor, Rhodes College; Cara M. Djonko-Moore, Rhodes College
Unit: SIG-Critical Educators for Social Justice
Abstract: Several states, including Tennessee, have enacted new laws aimed at preventing critical race theory from being taught in public schools. This study, theoretically focused on critical consciousness and teachers as policy actors, specifically examines how pre-service and inservice public school teachers understand and plan to navigate Tennessee’s prohibited concepts legislation. Authors conducted focus groups with preservice and inservice teachers. Participants, all current students or recent graduates of a justice-oriented education program, consistently expressed disagreement with the prohibited concepts legislation which fell into three categories: active opposition, intentional disregard, and reluctant compliance. Findings illustrate that teachers are not merely policy subjects who enact written legislation, but instead intentionally and at times strategically interpret policy.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/2008501