"It's for the Kids!" The Illusion of Social Justice in a Charter School Unionized Environment

• In Event: Race, Policy, Justice, and School Choice

Abstract

Despite the original intention of union leaders like Al Shanker to create schools flourishing with teacher leadership and autonomy, charter schools have remained largely ununionized and governed by non-elected business-like board members and fundraising managers. This paper shares the voices of charter school teachers in one Los Angeles unionized charter management organization (CMO) and asks, How did the illusion of social justice lure teachers to work in an environment that ultimately did not value their working conditions? Through a qualitative case study, this paper shares the experiences of one group of teachers drawn to the social justice mission of the school yet were demonized by the administration for unionizing.

Authors

• Elizabeth Montaño, University of California - Davis

• Izamar del Rosario Ortiz-González, University of California - Davis