Discipline Dilemmas: How Memphis Charter School Teachers Navigate Culturally Responsive Practices Amid Exclusionary Policies

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Abstract

This multiple case study explored how Memphis charter school teachers, identified as positive classroom managers, described enacting Culturally Responsive Classroom Management (CRCM) amid exclusionary discipline policies. Through interviews, observations, and debriefs, the study examined how teachers implemented CRCM’s reflective and active tenets and navigated institutional constraints. Findings revealed that teachers exercised ethical judgment and professional agency in tension-filled and high-stakes behavioral situations. All participants faced discipline dilemmas shaped by inconsistent administrative responses and limited structural support. These findings deepen CRCM theory, highlight classroom management as ethical decision-making, and challenge deficit narratives of charter school teaching. Implications extend to teacher education, charter leadership, and researchers committed to culturally responsive and justice-oriented school environments.

Authors

• Emily Hannah McFarland, Baylor University

• Anne J. Steketee, Baylor University