Divisive for Whom? Understanding Legislative Efforts to Curtail Justice-Oriented Educators in Iowa

• In Event: Undermining Equity and Justice: Navigating a Hostile Sociopolitical Climate in PK–12 Schools

Abstract

Purpose:
Social justice educators across the country are dealing with unprecedented levels of criticism (Jayakumar & Kohli, 2023; Rogers et al., 2022). Iowa is not immune to efforts taking place across the country to undermine and divest from diversity, equity, and inclusion in K-12 schools. During the summer of 2021, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law House File (H.F) 802, which curtails training and classroom instruction on issues regarding race, gender, and sexuality (Richardson, 2021). Educators in Iowa have to navigate a policy environment that Farley et al. (2021) call “political distractions,” calling into question their motives and expertise. This paper builds upon existing scholarship that notes existing barriers to their involvement in policy-making (e.g., Ellison et al., 2018; Good et al., 2017; McCardle et al., 2022) and particular difficulty regarding activism in “hostile” states (Carrillo, 2021; Grooms et al., 2021; Monreal, 2022; Rodela et al., 2020). Given this context, this qualitative study is guided by the following questions: 1. How do K-12 administrators and teachers in Iowa make sense of H.F. 802’s impact on their justice-based efforts? 2. What support and leadership do justice-oriented educators require in contexts that undermine their abilities as professionals?

Framework:
Guided by scholarship on critical policy analysis (CPA) (Diem & Young, 2015; Diem et al., 2014) and epistemic justice (Dotson, 2014; Fricker, 2007; Medina 2019), we articulate and are guided by critical epistemic policy analysis (CEPA). CEPA facilitates an asset and structural-based analysis of how policy supports or undermines efforts to seek, acquire, and share knowledge. In this study, we use CEPA to center the expertise and experiences of justice-oriented educators in Iowa to understand the micro-level impact of legislation like H.F. 802 on efforts to create just and inclusive education environments.

Methods & Data Analysis:
This interview-based study entailed 16 semi-structured interviews with K-12 school teachers (11) and administrators (5) over the summer of 2021. Interviews were audio-recorded and lasted 90-120 minutes. Interview questions focused on participants’ justice-based commitments, support networks, and perceptions of H.F. 802. The coding of the data entailed three rounds of line-by-line coding. Analytic memos were written throughout the data analysis process, which helped funnel down the list of codes.

Results & Significance:
This study consists of three findings. The first examines the existing ambivalent and shallow commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The second focuses on participant criticisms of H.F. 802. We specifically emphasize how the perceived lack of clarity and guidance of this law fueled concerns about their ability to be effective justice-oriented educators. The third finding sits with the question of divisiveness by interrogating how participants made sense of their work being framed as such. Further, implications of how education policies like H.F. 802 exacerbate justice-oriented efforts in hostile education environments add to ongoing questions of how to support educators. Along with initial suggestions classroom teachers and administrators had for what would support them, the research team will discuss further recommendations to address this ongoing need.

Authors

• Gabriel Rodriguez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Sarah Chase, Grand Valley State University

• Nicolas Jordan Tanchuk, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign