It's Not Always Other People's Children: Social Justice and Parent-Scholar Activism in K–12 Schools

• In Event: Transforming Schools From the Outside-In: Families and Communities as School Activists

Abstract

Drawing from our experiences as parent-scholar-activists in two states, two justice-oriented teacher educators examine the tensions and dilemmas that emerge when scholars bring their activism home. Through critical autoethnography we document our evolving journeys as parent-scholar-activists in our own children’s schools. In this session we will explore our research that reveals how, by leveraging their unique positionality, parent-scholar-activists have the opportunity to challenge hegemonic institutional structures that marginalize the voices and interests of non-dominant families, equate parental “engagement” and fundraising, and silence conversations that seek to move from “diversity” to “justice.” We conclude with implications for scholar-parent activists’ research trajectories and work-life balance.

Authors

• Alison G Dover, California State University - Fullerton

• Erica K. Dotson, Clayton State University