A Digital Ethnography of Teach For America: Analysis of the Truth For America Podcast

• In Event: 35.077 - MTCC Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: 35.077-2 - Contesting Dominant Regimes of (Post-)Truth and Commonsense (Un)Knowing

Abstract

As public interactions about Teach For America (TFA) and education reform increasingly move online, it is imperative that we respond with innovative research methods. To analyze the counternarrative in the public discourse surrounding TFA, this paper represents the first digital ethnography in education policy. We conduct a qualitative analysis of Truth For America, an education policy podcast that features TFA alums, educators, parents, students, and other key stakeholders. In our findings, we report the four overarching themes that arose from conversations with respondents: (1) problematic practice, preparation, and pedagogy; (2) concerns linked to critiquing TFA and the organization’s responses to that critique; (3) problematic issues related to race and diversity; and (4) disconcerting funding practices and political power.

Authors

• Julian Vasquez Heilig, California State University - Sacramento

• T. Jameson Brewer, University of North Georgia

• Amber Kim, University of Denver

• Miguel Sanchez, California State University - Sacramento