From Objects To Subjects: Repositioning Teachers As Policy Actors Doing Policy Work

Authors

Scott Ellison, University of Northern IowaFollow
Ashlee B. Anderson, The University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow
Brittany Aronson, Miami UniversityFollow
Courtney Clausen, University of Northern IowaFollow

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Education policy & reform, Leadership, Policy networks, Structural inequality, Teacher perspectives, Urban education

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Teaching and Teacher Education

Volume

74

First Page

157

Last Page

169

Abstract

Within policy discourses, teachers are positioned as objects of reform who enact policies under rational systems of observation and accountability and are, therefore, situated as de-professionalized actors lacking expert knowledge. This research project asks relatively straight-forward questions: If practicing teachers were given a voice in political debates over urban education policy and reform, what would they say? What macro-level policy problems would they identify as being important? Findings indicate the primary policy problems include Systemic Inequity and Bad Policy. The primary policy solutions include, Schools as a Community Resource; Shared Decision-Making; Contextual Goals; and Time, Space and Resources.

Department

Department of Educational Psychology, Foundations, and Leadership Studies

Original Publication Date

8-1-2018

DOI of published version

10.1016/j.tate.2018.05.001

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Language

en

Recommended Citation

Ellison, Scott; Anderson, Ashlee B.; Aronson, Brittany; and Clausen, Courtney, "From Objects To Subjects: Repositioning Teachers As Policy Actors Doing Policy Work" (2018). Faculty Publications. 684.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/684