No Excuses, Black Lives Matter, and Parenting: Exploring the Intersections of the Personal and Political

• In Event: Race, Policy, Justice, and School Choice

Abstract

This paper examines the evolution of beliefs of teachers and school leaders in “no-excuses” schools. Drawing on interviews with 34 current and former No Excuses educators, we explore how changes in the school reform context, the rise of Black Lives Matter, and their own transition to parenthood have shaped their views of no excuses schooling. We find that some now see their work with remorse, as the ongoing racial equity movement has reshaped their views. But others felt more ambivalent and thought that the schools’ virtues were being lost in an overly simplistic vision of racial equity. Similar complexity and ambivalence lies at the intersection of no excuses schooling and parenting. Implications for the future of these schools are discussed.

Authors

• Abigail Orrick, Harvard Graduate School of Education

• Jal David Mehta, Harvard University