Teachers must be able to effectively address the social and academic needs of their students, regardless of cultural differences. It is also critical for teachers to have knowledge of the controlling societal forces affecting their students' lives. Numerous scholars have investigated the overrepresentation of Black males in special education.…

Increases in student experiences with social and mental health, acts of violence, and the school-to-prison nexus have prompted many schools to evaluate alternatives to safety that are equitable, inclusive, and student and family-centered. Punitive approaches to school safety have been shown to disproportionately affect underserved schools and…

Research on the inequities present within dual language (DL) programs demonstrates that these programs are not immune from the racial stratification prevalent in the United States. Despite intentions to center justice for minoritized students in DL programs, unexamined ideologies among educators can inadvertently perpetuate the existing status…

Career aspirations are a crucial aspect of future adult development for individuals of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, Black emerging adult men may face specific challenges and obstacles that can hinder the formation of career aspirations. Social and economic disadvantages, racism, and development in low-resourced constrained…

Trauma-informed Care (TIC), Restorative Justice (RJ), and Multicultural Education (MCE) are three approaches to school reform widely being discussed and promoted within schools. The authors of this paper, representing the fields of psychology, social work, and education, present an integrated framework that acknowledges the commonalities these…

Prior research indicates that Black students and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to receive exclusionary discipline and are at risk of low academic achievement. However, the association between academic achievement and exclusionary discipline over time is not as well understood. With data from the Fragile Families and…

This qualitative study explores classroom management coaching for first-year teachers (FYT). We present a case study of one urban district's pilot of a coaching program to curb persistent struggles with this vital pedagogical skill. To gather a comprehensive understanding of this program, we interviewed 15 FYTs about their experience with the…

Student voice can be a powerful tool in urban schools. Student voice programs engage students in the educational policies and practices that impact their lives and provides educators a glimpse into the experiences and needs of students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. However, successful student voice programs rely upon adult…

We examined factors that lead to the attrition and retention of special education teachers (SETs) based on gender, race, and geographical location. Factors leading to SETs intent to stay or leave teaching is commonly overlooked in research, particularly when controlling for gender and race. Thus, we reviewed survey data of 778 SETs, controlling…

As many U.S. school administrators create policies around hair, many often neglect to consider racial differences, especially those pertaining to hair care and maintenance styles. News media outlets have recently highlighted the ways schools create and sustain racially biased policies and schooling environments, demonstrating the media's role in…

The global pandemic was traumatic for everyone, and it revealed the vast inequity in public services to which people have access. Fortunately, community schools had been coordinating services to meet the needs of their families prior to the pandemic, and when schools closed in 2020, they kicked into high gear to provide for those needs. This paper…

Despite well-documented benefits for students--particularly students belonging to minorized groups--all tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) are rarely fully enacted in practice. This study examines the interrelationship between the race-related beliefs of Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) who facilitated class sessions during a summer,…

School communities have been shut out of many of the more critical decision-making processes impacting local public schools. Decisions are mostly made as top-down actions from federal mandates, general assemblies, state departments, districts, and school level administration teams, isolating the school communities they are tasked to serve. To…

In this paper, the authors utilize critical reflection and autobiographical narratives as a pedagogical tool for aspiring school leaders to examine beliefs and assumptions on equity and social justice in an educational leadership preparation program. Comparative themes related to their developing social justice and equity orientations included:…

In recent decades, school choice has become a characteristic feature of urban school systems and, like students, teachers must choose among schools with various characteristics. Such decisions become new sites for teachers to enact their professional identity. This study uses qualitative data to explore the identity negotiations of 26 teachers…