Those Who, by Leaving, Stay: The Persistence of Social Justice Educators in Reimagining Teacher Education

• In Event: Ethnographies and Ethnodramas: Moving Methodologies Toward Social Justice

Abstract

This study investigated the factors that pushed and pulled social justice educators out of urban elementary and secondary (K-12) classroom teaching and into university-based teacher education spaces as faculty. The authors utilized autoethnographic and counter narrative methodologies to examine the systemic and individual factors that impacted social justice educators’ decisions to leave K-12 classrooms. Two central categories emerged: neoliberal K-12 push factors, and pull factors that lured educators into academia. Most importantly, the study also revealed K-12 persistence strategies and describes the way these educators reimagine their work in teacher education. It is imperative to learn how educators are maintaining their commitment to social justice on all fronts, with numerous stakeholders.

Authors

• Oscar Navarro, California State University Long Beach

• Jennifer K. Shah, North Central College

• Carolina Valdez, California State University - Fullerton

• Alison G Dover, California State University - Fullerton

• Nick Henning, California State University - Fullerton