“I Feel Like I Have Something to Say”: Teacher Engagement in Decision Making Under Market-Based Reforms

• In Event: Examinations of Policy Across K-16 Contexts

Abstract

Despite their deep knowledge of education in the classroom, teachers’ have minimal roles in shaping education policy. In this paper, we draw on interviews with 57 public and charter school teachers in Washington, DC, to investigate the multiple pathways and barriers as teachers attempt to influence local education decisions. We find that teachers’ motivations to engage in policy conversations was often motivated by their personal experiences and belief that they brought necessary perspectives to the decision-making table. Yet, as they navigated internal and external barriers, teachers perceived that they had limited influence in policy arenas. Our findings underscore how time, capacity, and the opportunity structure shape teachers’ ability to inform policies that could improve the quality and equity of education.

Authors

• Kristin Sinclair, Georgetown University

• Alisha Butler, Wesleyan University

• Kaden Miller, Wesleyan University

• Kearsetyn Viktoria Bargeron, University of Maryland