Foot in the Door, Competent to Transfer, Free to Flee, and Passionate Persisters

Abstract

History continues to show what happens when organizations, institutions, laws, programs, policies, and practices to reduce inequities and inequalities are ignored. Inequality by social, economic, racial, ethnic, and immigrant origins remains pervasive. Any attempts to address the structural roots of inequity and inequality will have limited societal impacts until the structures that created the inequity and inequality are transformed. This requires authentic, ongoing, supportive, collegial, and accountable policies and processes. As the nation continues to combat systemic racism and structural foundations of inequity and inequality, it is evident that equity and equality are less understood when it comes to urban environments. A drastic shift is needed. To improve student learning and teacher persistence and retention in urban educational settings, it will take an authentic, concerted effort to implement a conceptual framework focused on social justice and equity. Students, teachers, and schools are the elements that past research has treated as separate focus points. From my perspective, these are not three separate independent elements, but rather three sets of dynamic (not static, but continuously evolving) relationships. The final section of this paper asks, “Now that we know, where do we go from here?” Propositions for future practice are shared.