Strategic Alliances and Fugitivity: Advancing Racial Justice in Educator Preparation Amidst Legislative Constraints

• In Event: Teaching In the Wake: Racial Justice Praxis Across Teacher Education, Classrooms, and Schools

Abstract

Objectives & Research Question
Current legislation significantly constrains how K-12 schools can address racial inequities. Using “color-evasiveness” and prohibiting “discriminatory equity ideology,” these mandates fortify rather than address structural inequity. The state's SB1 and SB 113 aim to ban DEI programming, bolster these assertions. This legislative environment challenges educators to prepare teacher candidates to enact racial justice when essential topics are deemed impermissible, thereby restricting critical inquiry, open dialogue, and the development of racially literate educators. Conversely, history demonstrates a robust tradition of collective resistance and educational activism, often through strategies of fugitive justice and pedagogies (Love, 2020; Givens, 2021; Melonas, 2024; Stovall, 2024). Despite legislative barriers, there remains a persistent commitment to challenging oppressive systems and fostering educational practices toward equity. Our research asks: 1) How has anti-equity legislation shaped students’ perspectives toward racial justice in their teacher preparation program? And 2) To what extent has anti-equity legislation impacted university-school-partner relationships?

Theory
Through Givens’ (2021) conceptualization of “fugitive pedagogy,” a framework rooted in the historical and ongoing struggle for Black education in America, this study examines the covert and subversive methods African Americans employ to access and shape their own educational experiences. With fugitive pedagogy, this research aims to illuminate how critical partnerships can operate with an intentional, perhaps even disruptive, spirit to challenge existing power structures and dismantle systemic inequities in preparation of future educators.

Methods/Sources
Drawing upon existing insights regarding race in current practice among teacher educators, mentors, and candidates, this study will investigate how colleges may reimagine university-school partnerships and teaching for equity, specifically centering racial justice. Data sources included: surveys from teacher candidates and faculty on teaching and learning about racial equity in coursework and clinical experiences, documentation from interaction with school partners, and notes from instructional rounds as part of the Network Improvement Community.

Findings
This study delves into the multifaceted impacts of evolving legislation on the critical partnership between P-12 educational institutions and institutions of higher education. Beyond documenting these effects, it meticulously examines the past and present ingenuity of teachers as they navigate, and at times, circumvent harmful policies that hinder integration of anti-racist approaches into educator preparation programs. Moreover, the study highlights efforts to foster and promote justice-oriented teaching methodologies to cultivate equitable learning environments despite persistent attacks. Findings underscore a pressing need for collaborative, grassroots fugitivity.

Significance
This paper contributes to the literature on critical race studies in education and abolitionist teaching in higher education. Lifelong learning, particularly concerning race and racism within education, demands an ongoing commitment to understanding and dismantling systemic inequities. It is an iterative process of interrogation, reflection, and adaptation, continuously questioning existing paradigms, pedagogies, and structures that perpetuate racial disparities. It requires active engagement with historical and contemporary scholarship on race and racism, transcending superficial understandings to delve into the lived experiences of marginalized communities. This demands risk-taking, discomfort, confronting difficult truths, and engaging in conversations about race in the classroom and broader community, ensuring that every aspect is scrutinized through a racial justice lens.

Authors

• Markita C Warren, Cleveland State University

• Katherine Clonan-Roy, Cleveland State University

• Tristta M. Kuykendall, Cleveland State University

• Marketa Fuller-President, Cleveland State University