“Im so worried…” Examining Middle School Teachers Experiences Teaching an Anti-Bias Curriculum Under New Federal Guidelines”

• In Event: To Resist: Examining a District-Wide Implementation of a Middle School Anti-Bias Curriculum in the Current Socio-Political Climate

Abstract

This presentation will discuss middle school teachers’ experiences teaching an anti-bias curriculum during Spring 2025 under the new presidential administration educational policies around teaching about race in schools. This study is framed by Stage Environment Fit theory which stresses the understanding of the educational-ecological context students develop within to ensure practices and policies at each level (teachers, schools, macro-level) meet students’ shifting developmental needs (Eccles & Roeser, 2012).
The current administration seemingly banning conversations on pressing social issue around race and gender, is concerning for middle schoolers given the research that finds early adolescents becoming more and more invested in social issues and their role within them (Verhoeven, Poorthuis & Volman, 2019). Indeed, because of early adolescents increasing exploration of their socially-mediated identities juxtaposed against their growing independence and deepening social ties, making sense of the shifting social stratifications in the micro-and macro- contexts and their place in it is often of the utmost concern (Rivas-Drave et al., 2000). Middle schools are an important backdrop of this meaning making given the significant amount of time youth spend in school (Eccles & Roeser, 2012). Middle school teachers’ importance in the process cannot be understated: teachers’ action/inaction related to these types of conversations will inform students’ meaning making.
Given the current presidential administration policies around DEI, teachers are understandably concerned about their ability to lead conversations focused on race(ism) regardless of the executive orders’ legality given the tangible harm that may come their way. Given these realities and the particularities of this moment, it is important to listen and learn from experiences of teachers not shying away from conversations around identity, justice, and community. Therefore, the current study shines light on middle school teachers’ experiences teaching anti-bias materials at the current moment, illuminating our understanding of their feelings; their fears and motivations, to allow us to better understand what teachers are thinking and what they need to feel supported.
The study took place during Spring 2025. 15 middle school teachers from one school district participated in three interviews during implementation of an 18-week district-wide anti-bias curriculum for all students. Interviews were coded using the constant comparison method. Three themes emerged. First, the majority of teachers reported feeling anxious teaching the anti-bias materials given the current socio-political climate, primarily concerned with students taking things out of context and possibly repercussions. Second, the majority of teachers were motivated to continue this work because of the current presidential administration policies. One teacher stated, “Just because there’s new policies, doesn’t mean I am gonna start being a jerk and doing what I know is wrong”. Lastly, teachers were juggling the impact of the current presidential administration’s policies on personal aspects of their lives with classroom/teaching expectations. As one teacher cried “I am just so worried for America right now, its hard to focus on anything else”. In total, these findings highlight the ways middle school teachers are grappling with the current social-political moment and what this means for instructional practices and middle school student experiences

Author

• Johari Harris, Kennesaw State University