Teacher-based Analyses of the Title I SIG Program: Impacts of Time, Timing, and Policy Intentions. Tuesda Roberts, University of Pittsburgh
The study represents an interjection of teachers as knowledgeable policy analysts whose direct experiences with the entire span of a policy’s implementation and professional expertise position them to meaningfully contribute to sustainable school reform efforts. The findings speak to the multiple and crucial roles of teachers and highlight the need to meaningfully incorporate teachers who have demonstrated a long-term commitment and excellence into decision-making processes about the t, consequences, and ideological consequences of educational policies.
Urban Teachers as Educational Policy Analysts: Shedding Light on the Complexities of School Reform. Tuesda Roberts, University of Pittsburgh
The teachers’ descriptions of misaligned goals and actions, their sympathetic yet critical analyses of school and district leadership, and their description of how the Title I SIG policy impacted their professional ef cacy presented a multifaceted view of how the policy implementation practices relate to teacher practices and to the revitalization of underperforming schools. This study’s teacher-based analyses “refresh” approaches to school reform leadership by (re)positioning teachers as integral and informed agents in a school’s trajectory.
Legitimizing the Dilettante: Teach for America and the Allure of Ed Cred. Davis Clement, College of William and Mary
The purpose of this study was to describe the initial urge to apply to Teach for America and the implications for conceptions of educational leadership and policy being developed by young, ambitious TFA alums. The phenomenon proposed, ed cred, is a unique conception of legitimacy blending the competitive hero teacher narrative with three new experiential variations: the drive for credibility, the preference for convenience, and the need for a credential.
Teacher Perceptions of Whole School Sustainability Practices in U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. Tania Lynn McKey, Lisa A. W. Kensler (Auburn University)
This study’s purpose was to extend the emerging literature related to U.S. Department
of Education Green Ribbon Schools by gathering teacher perceptions related to green school practices in these schools. This award represents a national strategy for promoting responsible environmental stewardship, school building occupant well-being, and education for sustainability across U.S. schools, public and private. Findings provide evidence that these schools are trailblazers for the 21st century, leading the way towards whole school sustainability.
