"Even-Handed Treatment of All Sides": A Critical Policy Analysis of Massachusetts Anti-Discriminatory School Committee Proposals

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 12:40 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Analysis of Policy and School Reform: Reimagining More Just Futures (Table 5)

Abstract

With culture wars, book bans, and fear mongering around critical race theory pervading national rhetoric, it is no surprise that discriminatory censorship laws have gripped American public schools. States like Florida and Texas tend to appear in the news most often for these laws; however, other districts in states considered more progressive still face attempts to pass such policies. Given the detrimental effects of these policies on students, teachers, and school communities alike, this study uses the lens of critical theory to examine three policy proposals generated by school boards in Massachusetts (MA) public schools. Findings identify the following themes that characterize the proposals: pervasive ambiguity, false claims of neutrality, denial of student identities, and overreaching control.

Authors

• Erin Nerlino, Clark University

• Lauren Funk, Boston University