Fostering counter-narratives of race, language, and identity in an urban English classroom

Critical Counter-Narrative as Transformative Methodology for Educational Equity

“…In K–12 teaching and in-service teacher professional development, having participants identify or construct counter-narratives appears to be the dominant model, whether the participants are students or teachers (Anderson, 2017; Degener, 2018; Godley & Loretto, 2013; Kersten, 2006). Battey and Franke (2015) examined how a math teacher professional development program used counter-narrative to support teachers in gathering counterevidence to challenge dominant deficit narratives about students of color by identifying examples of successful students, and redirecting teachers away from blaming students and toward new approaches to supporting their success.…”

A Counterstory of One's Own

“…Culturally responsive teaching practices see and appreciate the power and richness of students’ cultures and use their knowledge of these backgrounds to engage students in the classroom and to empower them to work as agents of change in their communities (Ladson‐Billings, ). By cultivating caring relationships (Gay, ; Valenzuela, ), affirming linguistic backgrounds (Godley & Loretto, ), and demonstrating teacher agency (Villegas & Lucas, ), culturally responsive pedagogues create more equitable learning conditions for students belonging to marginalized backgrounds.…”

"Y'all and all these assessments is a little bit too much" : the effects of high-stakes testing on critical literacy pedagogy.

“…During the Civil Rights Movement and continuing into the post-Civil Rights era, education researchers focused on such issues, and devised solutions by naming and developing teaching strategies such as "Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" and "Critical Literacy Pedagogy." Inspired by Paulo Freire's aim of "Critical Pedagogy" to liberate students from the chains of oppression and encourage active citizenry, culturally relevant and critical literacy pedagogies sought to connect critical consciousness, culture, and constructs of language within the classroom in order to disrupt the dominant discourse of "Whiteness" and promote a multicultural perspective within the politicization of literacy education (Chubbuck, 2004;Freire, 2000;Godley and Loretto, 2013;Janks et al, 2013;Morell, 2008).…”

“…Most literature on implementing culturally relevant and critical literacy pedagogies presents both benefits and drawbacks to these practices, but some lack substantial discussion of the evident obstacle of high-stakes testing for teachers implementing critical literacy pedagogy and socially just education in an age of accountability (Borsheim-Black, 2015;Delpit, 1986;Godley, et al, 2007;Godley and Loretto, 2013;LadsonBillings, 1995;Rouland, et al, 2014;Young, 2010). Although research within critical literacy pedagogy mention high-stakes testing as a potential difficulty, there is little discussion of how teachers balance this pedagogy with the demands of testing.…”

“…Although the implementation of critical literacy pedagogy may look different from teacher to teacher, the literature revealed that these pedagogies can disrupt the dominant discourse of Whiteness, develop cultural understanding instead of assimilation, and politicize literacy education in a way that inspires teachers and students to question structures of oppression (Borsheim-Black, 2015;Chubbuck, 2004;Freire, 2000;Giroux, 1993;Godley and Loretto, 2013;Janks et al, 2013;Ladson-Billings, 1992;Morell, 2008). Critical literacy, as well as critical and culturally relevant pedagogies, are all necessary in responding to the increasingly diverse racial and ethnic makeup of the United States' public school system and ensuring that teachers and students are navigating the educational experience in a way that both reflects this cultural change while also effecting social change.…”