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America has a problem: helping charter school teachers build a new foundation to combat racism with anti-racist teaching pedagogy

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America has a problem: helping charter school teachers build a new foundation to combat racism with anti-racist teaching pedagogy

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America Has A Problem: Helping Charter School Teachers Build A New
Foundation to Combat Racism With Anti-Racist Teaching Pedagogy

Queenie Johnson

Rossier School Of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation presented to the
faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

August 2023

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© Copyright 2023 by Queenie Johnson
All Rights Reserved

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The Committee for Queenie Johnson certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Briana Hinga
Anthony Maddox
Cathy Crop, Committee Chair

Abstract
This study aims to understand the kinds of support charter-school teachers need from
their organization to equip them as effective anti-racist K-8 practitioners. By examining their
experiences and insights, this research aims to uncover the essential building blocks necessary
for establishing a solid foundation for anti-racist practice within their respective classrooms by
examining the interplay between knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors influencing
teachers’ training in this context. Through qualitative research methods, the study engages with a
diverse group of educators to examine their experiences, challenges, and aspirations related to
anti-racist teaching, and by analyzing and interpreting the data collected, patterns and themes
emerged, shedding light on the multifaceted factors influencing teachers’ capacity to navigate the
complexities of anti-racist pedagogy effectively. The findings of this study underscore the
importance of organizational support in fostering the growth and development of anti-racist
practitioners. Insights into teachers’ needs and desires for training, resources, and ongoing
professional development emerge as crucial factors for cultivating anti-racist practice by
addressing the knowledge gaps, motivational factors, and organizational considerations. This
study aims to contribute to the broader goal of creating more inclusive and equitable educational
environments.
Keywords: anti-racism, charter school teachers, anti-racist teaching pedagogy, anti-racist
education, anti-racism in the classroom, committing to anti-racism

Dedication
My work is dedicated to the Brilliant Thinkers who are not only rising but also embracing
their inherent power. It is my belief that every individual possesses the divine gifts necessary to
shape the world according to their vision. With gratitude, I recognize the profound role that each
person plays in co-creating the reality we aspire to witness. One project at a time, I am fearlessly
charting a course to transform the world. I proudly present this work, embodying my deep
respect for the journey. May it serve as a catalyst for positive change and inspire others to join
me on this remarkable quest.

I dedicate my work to the remarkable Mary McLeod Bethune, whose unwavering
tenacity and visionary leadership continue to inspire generations. As an educator, she epitomized
the transformative power of a teacher, leaving an indelible impact on the lives of countless
individuals. Her legacy serves as a constant reminder of the potential for change that lies within
the hands of dedicated and visionary educators.

Acknowledgements

● To the exceptional students at Black School, Inc.- I am grateful for you. You have reignited
the flame of my grandest aspirations. Because of your inspiration, I found the courage to return
to school to pursue a doctorate. Thank you from the depths of my heart. I am grateful to each one
of you.
● To The Brilliant Thinkers- I believe in the power of Brilliant Thinking and the collective
wisdom of the Brilliant Thinkers. You truly embody excellence in every sense. Your intellect
and ingenuity are unparalleled. Keep shining bright, and always remain G.U.T.S.Y!
● To my Beloved Parents and Siblings- I am wrapped in your love and support. This win belongs
to all of us. Although I may not have required another degree, your unwavering support and
encouragement have been invaluable. I am immensely grateful for your love and steadfast belief
in me.
● Dr. Rodriguez- I am forever indebted to you for igniting the fire within me. Your impact on my
journey cannot be overstated. At the age of nineteen, my commitment to this calling took root
within the walls of your classroom at Occidental College. I was like fertile soil, receptive and
eager to grow under your nurturing guidance. Today, I stand on the precipice of affecting
thousands, soon to be millions, all because you sowed the seeds of knowledge with utmost care
and devotion. My gratitude knows no bounds.
● MG- I appreciate your patience during this time. Words cannot express my gratitude for your
unwavering presence and support throughout my journey to attain my doctorate. You have been
my sanctuary, a safe haven in which I found solace and strength.

● My Ls’s & Unique -To my incredible line sisters, your unwavering belief in me has been a
constant source of strength. Adrian and Unique, I vividly remember reaching out to you when
the idea of applying to this program first crossed my mind. Your steadfast support continues to
astound me. Thank you for always being there, cheering me on every step of the way.
● Doctor Krop- With heartfelt gratitude, I extend my deepest appreciation for gently guiding me
through this transformative process. Your invaluable support has allowed me to navigate the path
with grace and bring forth my vision with ease.
● Michelle Rojas-Soto- I am deeply grateful for the opportunity you have provided me to confront
the intricate challenges of equity and explore ways to shape a better future for our students and
families. Your support has granted me the space to delve into these crucial issues and advocate
for meaningful change. Together, let us continue to strive for a more just and inclusive education
system that empowers every individual to thrive.
● Mary Mcleod Bethune- I dedicate my work to the remarkable Mary McLeod Bethune, whose
unwavering tenacity and visionary leadership continue to inspire generations. As an educator,
she epitomized the transformative power of a teacher, leaving an indelible impact on the lives of
countless individuals. Her legacy serves as a constant reminder of the potential for change that
lies within the hands of dedicated and visionary educators.

Table of Contents

Abstract…………… ....................................................................................................................... 3
Dedication………… ....................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements. ....................................................................................................................... vi
Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1
Background of the Problem ................................................................................................ 3
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions .................................................................. 8
Importance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 9
Organizational Context and Mission ................................................................................ 14
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology .................................................. 19
Definition of Terms………………………………………………………………………………20
Organization of the Dissertation ....................................................................................... 24
Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................................. 25
Racism and White Privilege in America ........................................................................... 25
Effects of Racism on Children of Color ........................................................................... 31
Approaches to Dismantling Racism in Education ............................................................ 40
The Role, Mindset, and Approach of the Anti-Racist Teacher ......................................... 47
Teachers' Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences ................................... 53
Conclusion……….. .......................................................................................................... 59

Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 61
Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................. 61
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................... 64
Organization Overview ..................................................................................................... 65
Participating Stakeholders ................................................................................................ 68
Types of Participants ......................................................................................................... 68
Data Collection and Instrumentation ................................................................................ 69
Data Analysis…….. .......................................................................................................... 72
Credibility and Trustworthiness ........................................................................................ 72
Ethics……………… ......................................................................................................... 73
The Researcher—Role of the Researcher ......................................................................... 74
Conclusion……….. .......................................................................................................... 75
Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................. 76
Participating Stakeholders ................................................................................................ 77
Knowledge Findings ......................................................................................................... 79
Motivation Findings ........................................................................................................ 105
Organizational Findings .................................................................................................. 118
Conclusion………… ...................................................................................................... 134
Chapter Five: Recommendations ................................................................................................ 136
Discussion of Key Findings ............................................................................................ 137

Recommendations to Build Knowledge, ........................................................................ 142
Motivation, and Organizational Assets of Anti-Racist Leadership ................................ 142
Limitations and Delimitations ......................................................................................... 155
Areas for Future Research .............................................................................................. 157
Conclusion……….. ........................................................................................................ 157
References………… ................................................................................................................... 161
Appendix A: Pre-Screener Questionnaire ................................................................................... 183
Appendix B: Interview Protocol ................................................................................................. 184

List of Tables
Table 1: Organizational Mission, Organizational Goal, and Stakeholder Group Goal ................ 18
Table 2: Knowledge Influences .................................................................................................... 55
Table 3: Motivation Influences ..................................................................................................... 57
Table 5: Participants Profile .......................................................................................................... 77
Table 6: Assumed Knowledge Influences .................................................................................... 80
Table 7: Interview Questions corresponding to research questions .............................................. 81
Table 8: Assumed Motivation Influences ................................................................................... 106
Table 9: Interview Questions corresponding to research questions ............................................ 107
Table 10: Organizational Influences ........................................................................................... 120
Table 11: Interview Questions corresponding to research questions .......................................... 121
Table 12: Recommendations for Practice ................................................................................... 144

List of Figures
Figure 1: The Conceptual Framework for this Research Study .................................................... 20
Figure 2: Participating Schools ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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All our silences in the face of racist assault are acts of complicity.
-bell hooks
Chapter One: Introduction
America has a problem. The detrimental impact of inefficient education on our Black and
Brown students cannot be ignored. According to research conducted by Levy et al. (2016),
discrimination and the associated pressures are linked to the achievement gap. Scholars such as
Chin et al. (2020) have also suggested that the differences in academic achievement between
Black and White students may stem from racial and educational disparities. For example, the
implicit biases of teachers have been found to correlate with disparities in academic achievement
between Black and White students. Research suggests that academic performance is a symptom
of policies and practices that provide an inequitable distribution of education outcomes
(Leonardo, 2018; Valant & Newark, 2016).
In the last 50 years, some public schools have started to address bias and discrimination
to improve student outcomes. For instance, Atkins and Oglesby (2018) reported that a group of
educators attended a workshop in 2017, titled "Reimagining Education: Teaching and Learning
in Racially Diverse Schools," hosted by Teachers College, Columbia University. Another
workshop titled "Deconstructing Racial Microaggressions within Educational Settings" provided
resources and tools to address the effects of microaggressions on People of Color (Atkins &
Oglesby, 2018).
Despite these efforts, racism remains a formidable force in the lives of students and their
families, as noted by Leonardo (2018). As such, research continues to confirm the role racism
plays in education, and schools must take more proactive measures to undo racism, especially

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given that racism is learned and can be unlearned (Atkins & Oglesby, 2018; Miller et al., 1994;
Leonardo, 2018; Tanner, 2019; Weir, 2021).
According to Leonardo (2018), achieving diversity and inclusion in schools must be
accompanied by a commitment to racial justice and anti-racism. Dr. Ibram Kendi (2020), an anti-
racism scholar, argues that it is not enough to be "not racist." In his view, there is no middle
ground; one is either racist or anti-racist (Kendi, 2020). Other scholars agree that schools must
take a strong stance against racial injustice (Kendi, 2020; Kramer, 2020), especially since racism
is a pervasive issue that affects all aspects of society, including education (Miller, 2020).
To combat racism in classrooms, teachers must create identity-affirming environments that
challenge structural racism and clear students' learning pathways of any inequitable debris that
may hinder their learning capacity (Levy et al., 2016). This debris can take many forms, such as
race neutrality, stereotype threat, color-evasiveness, implicit bias, euro-centric curricula, racial
stressors, or punitive- and shame-based disciplinary practices. By clearing away the racial stench
of oppression in the classroom, teachers can create open, equitable, and inclusive learning
environments that are safe and inviting for students. These spaces of trust between the teacher
and the student promote collaboration and the use of asset-based language (Diem & Welton,
2020).
As teachers lift the fog of racism in classrooms, they have the power to support students
in crafting their own narratives and activating their inner resources to facilitate optimal learning
conditions (Safir, 2016). Unfortunately, when teachers are unaware of the psychological stressors
that racism produces, students suffer. This is particularly true for marginalized students who may
already be grappling with systemic barriers. Therefore, it is crucial for teachers to understand the
impact of racism on cognitive functioning and academic performance, and to take active steps to

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combat it. Research indicates that teachers have the ability to positively influence race relations
and reframe problems through informed strategies (Miller, 2020).
The purpose of this study was to examine what elementary and middle school charter
teachers require to fully integrate anti-racism into their teaching practices in California, with a
focus on Southern California. It is crucial to recognize the realities of historical racism in the
United States of America and their significance in the problem of practice being addressed. By
conducting this study, I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of how teachers can actively
engage in anti-racist pedagogical practices in their classrooms and help to create more equitable
and inclusive learning environments for all students.
Background of the Problem
Los Angeles, home to the second-largest public school district in the country, has
undergone significant political, cultural, and economic changes over the years due to
globalization (Historical Timeline of Los Angeles, 2019). The city's current population stands at
around four million people (World Population Review, 2021). Despite being viewed as a
progressive city, Los Angeles has a long history of racism that continues to impact the lives of its
residents today (Morrison, 2021; Sonksen, 2017).
When Jim Crow laws were in full effect in the South, Los Angeles implemented its own
version of anti-Black policies (Jim Crow in National Defense, 1941). Although Los Angeles
appeared to be safer than the South, it has had its share of racial problems. According to
Fleischer (2020), the construction of the city's freeway system became one of the most
significant monuments to racism in Los Angeles. The 1956 Federal Highway Act provided 90%
of the cost of states' new roadways, with the condition that they be built through every major city
to connect emerging suburbs to downtown centers where commuters worked and shopped

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(Federal Highway Act of 1956 | U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives, n.d).
The design of the interstate system resulted in the destruction of diverse ethnic neighborhoods
under the guise of slum clearance (Chakrabarti & Chang, 2021; Fleischer, 2020). The freeway
system destroyed middle-class Black neighborhoods like Sugar Hill, along with other mixed-
raced neighborhoods (Fleischer, 2020). The freeways were thus built at the expense of
marginalized communities to create ease and access for the White population living in the
suburbs (Evans, 2021).
In addition to the impact of the freeway system, Los Angeles experienced other racially
motivated incidents, including bombings, restrictive housing covenants, drive-by shootings, and
other racially motivated events, like the Watts riots in 1965, the 1992 Rodney King Riots, and
the lesser-known Zoot-Suit riots, which were a White vs. Chicano conflict (Edy, 2018;
History.com, 2018; Orfield & Ee, 2014; Rodney King Riots, 2015). The impact of these events
on Los Angeles' marginalized communities cannot be underestimated. It is also essential to
understand the context of historical racism in the United States when considering the
significance of this issue (Morrison, 2021; Sonksen, 2017).
In 2020, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond called on
schools to address institutional racism and educational inequities following the racial unrest of
that year (CA Dept of Education, 2020). However, this is not the first time California has had to
confront the issue of racialized practices and policies in its public schools. In 1947, the Mendez
family filed a lawsuit in California federal courts on behalf of their nine-year-old daughter,
Sylvia, arguing that the segregation of Mexican American children in public schools led to
feelings of inferiority and hindered their ability to be productive Americans (United States
Courts, 2011). Thurgood Marshall represented the Mendez family in the landmark case, which

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led to a ruling that California public schools end their discriminatory practices against pupils of
Mexican descent. Although the Mendez case was not a racial claim since Mexicans were
considered White, it was a landmark discrimination case that posited students were being denied
equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment.
A decade later, in 1954, the United States Federal Courts overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson
(1896), which had upheld the constitutionality of "separate but equal," which allowed states and
local governments to use segregation laws. This landmark decision deemed the separate but
equal doctrine unconstitutional, declared state-segregated public schools unconstitutional, and
violated the Fourteenth Amendment. In 1963, a 13-year-old Black boy named Jay Jackson
wanted to transfer from Washington Junior High School to Eliot Junior High School in
Pasadena, California. However, gerrymandered zoning laws prohibited him from doing so. The
Jackson v. Pasadena decision found the city guilty of intentional segregation and ordered a
remedy based on the California State Constitution, which required the right to equal opportunity
for education and the harmful consequences of segregation that required school boards to take
reasonably feasible steps to alleviate the racial imbalance (Jackson v. Pasadena City School
Dist., 1963).
In 1970, Judge Alfred Gitelson ruled that the Los Angeles City Board of Education and
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) had engaged in de jure segregation, violating the
Fourteenth Amendment (School Desegregation and Busing in Los Angeles, 2013). Judge
Gitelson's ruling brought sweeping changes to California schools, including special funding for
minority school reforms, magnet efforts, and reconstituting segregating schools. During that
same time, local property taxes covered public school funding in California. This meant that
students who lived in zip codes with lower home values saw disproportionate funding needs go

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unaddressed (Public Policy Institute of California, 2013). However, when California passed
Proposition 13, property taxes were lowered, and as a result, the amount of funding earmarked
for public schools was reduced across the board (ED100, n.d.).
Consequently, California also dropped to number 43 in per-pupil spending from first in
the nation (CSU, 2013; Gumbel, 2019). At the same time, the California State Supreme Court
mandated desegregation and busing (CSU, 2013). However, White families, representing 55% of
the Los Angeles Unified School District, were furious, and White flight ensued (Orfield & Ee,
2014). In 1996, California passed a law that prohibited affirmative action in public education,
and in 1998, bilingual education was also outlawed in California (Aspegren, 2020); despite the
public messaging that communicated education for all students, California and urban cities like
Los Angeles have been infamous for their racialized policies, particularly in schools. According
to Orfield and Ee (2014), this discrimination took many forms, including gerrymandering
attendance boundaries to segregate minority and White students, allowing White students from
areas with significant nonwhite enrollment to transfer elsewhere, assigning teachers based on
race, concentrating inexperienced or un-credentialed teachers in minority schools, providing
minority students with an unequal curriculum, segregating students within diverse schools
through tracking, and assignment to special education classes amongst other insidious racialized
strategies.
Racism in schools has been extensively studied (Fultz, 1995; Kinloch & Dixon, 2017;
Tyack, 2004). The legacy of racialized policies in California has shaped educational policy and
programs leading to disparities in academic achievement and unequal outcomes for Black and
Latino students (Orfield & Ee, 2014). In addition, housing construction in California for people
under the poverty line was strategically located and concentrated on creating neighborhoods and

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schools heavily segregated by race and persistent poverty, forcing students of color to attend
under-resourced, segregated schools where racism was pervasive daily. Chester M. Pierce (1969)
described everyday racism as "offensive mechanisms" in his chapter titled "Is Bigotry the Basis
of the Medical Problem of the Ghetto?" Pierce extensively discussed how Black people in
America feel "socially minimized" when they experience these offensive mechanisms. In 1970,
Pierce introduced the concept of microaggressions, building upon his idea of offensive
mechanisms. As Pierce stated, "Most offensive actions are not gross and crippling. They are
subtle and stunning. The enormity of the complications they cause can be appreciated only when
one considers that the subtle blows are delivered incessantly…The idea that offensive
mechanisms are usually a micro-aggression" (pp.265-266). Pierce further expanded on the
concept of microaggressions in 1980 in a chapter entitled "Social Trace Contaminants: Subtle
Indicators of Racism in TV" (as cited in Solórzano & Huber, 2020). Pierce defined racial
microaggressions as "the subtle, stunning, repetitive event that many whites initiate and control
in their dealings with Blacks [and other minorities] ...However, the relentless omnipresence of
these noxious stimuli is the fabric of black-white relations in America" (p. 251).
Racism can manifest in various forms in schools, ranging from explicit policies that
unfairly target a particular group to more subtle microaggressions, such as stereotyping and low
expectations based on race. To combat this pervasive issue, educators must adopt an anti-racist
mindset that informs their daily decision-making, teaching strategies, and pedagogy, as outlined
in critical race theory (Diem & Welton, 2020). However, global research suggests that many
teachers struggle to respond appropriately, understand their responsibilities, and identify racism
in educational settings (Arneback & Jämte, 2021; Kimura et al., 2021; Suarez, 2018). While
schools worldwide attempt to implement various strategies to improve racial equity, they often

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fall short of their goals (Diem & Welton, 2020; Miller, 2021; O'Brien, 2009). To commit to anti-
racism genuinely, educational leaders need to understand the systemic nature of racism and its
impact on society and take concrete actions to address race and racism within their schools and
districts (Diem & Welton, 2020). Investing in anti-racism practices across the entire school
community has several educational and social benefits for students historically affected by racist
school practices. These benefits include increased cultural competency, greater self-awareness,
and higher academic achievement, which are essential skills for students to navigate an
increasingly multicultural world (Booker & Lim, 2016; Reinke et al., 2021; Kinloch & Dixon,
2017; Siegal-Hawley, 2012).
Learning how to equip and empower teachers with the skills necessary to effectively
address curricular gaps, investigate what counts as valuable knowledge or ways of knowing, and
identify and call out inequitable policies and practices is crucial in addressing the organizational
challenge related to racial academic disparities. Such disparities often prevent students of color
from accessing quality education through schooling policies and practices (Kohli et al., 2017).
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
The intent of this study was to explore ways to empower elementary and middle charter
school teachers to act on their commitment to anti-racism. Liberation Public Schools (LPS), a
pseudonym for an organization in Los Angeles, California, is dedicated to embedding an anti-
racist philosophy in all aspects of its policies, governance, curriculum, community engagement,
development, and assessments. The organization strives to transform into a fully inclusive entity
that does not use tools that marginalize or ostracize groups based on race or ethnicity. To achieve
this, Liberation Public Schools must prepare and empower its stakeholders to recognize, speak
out against, and dismantle racism within the organization by using their newly adopted anti-racist

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standards and policy. Despite a high commitment to anti-racism among teachers at LPS, they
report lower levels of self-efficacy in their ability to voice and act on their anti-racist values. This
study focuses on uncovering the essential tools, training, and development teachers need to
confront and eliminate racism and injustice in their classrooms. By bridging the gap between
their commitment to anti-racism and their courage to act, teachers can better serve their students
and create a more equitable learning environment. The following questions guided this study:
1. What are teachers' perceived knowledge needs to address anti-racism in the classroom?
2. How do teachers experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or racism on
campus?
3. What motivational factors lead teachers to adopt organization-wide change goals?
4. What support do teachers need from LPS to effectively roll out organization-wide anti-
racist standards?
In light of these questions, the research explored strategies for effectively institutionalizing LPS's
anti-racist standards across the organization to create enabling structures and internalize them as
a valued asset.
Importance of the Study
The inherent structural design of education systems can perpetuate and exacerbate
inequalities that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and Children of Color, even when
"their work habits, behaviors, and academic performance are identical" (Global Cities Education
Network Report, 2012; McFarland et al., 2018; Merolla & Jackson, 2019, p. 7; Seamster & Ray,
2018). This statement underscores the critical role schools must play in dismantling unjust
systems of oppression in education. Increasing teachers' ability to name, notice, and dismantle
the hegemony of Whiteness requires their adequate preparation in "critical

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pedagogies…transformative curricula, experiential learning… [so that they can] decolonize
existing educational practices that promote anti-Blackness and harm minority, as well as the
majority of students" (Eddie, 2021, p.1; Hooks, 2018). As the late writer, professor, and social
activist bell hooks observed, "Education as the practice of freedom…is a way of teaching that
anyone can learn…[it] is teaching us to desire what is difficult" (hooks, 1994, p.207). To achieve
this goal, schools must help students develop a critical understanding of systemic inequities,
systems of oppression, and power structures. Such an approach will equip students with the
global competencies necessary to increase their intercultural sensitivity and appreciation of
diverse perspectives, including their own (Eddie, 2021; OECD, 2016; Cheng & Soudack, 1994).
As Sarah Gaither, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University,
notes, "No one is born racist." Although there is no prescribed anti-racism formula, Gaither
argues that children can be taught how to work across and understand differences better than
previous generations (Weir, 2021). Her statement reinforces teachers' critical role in helping
students develop their skills and competencies to excel in future roles. For students to experience
a liberatory education, teachers must be educated and profoundly rooted in anti-racist
philosophical underpinnings (Arneback, 2022; Reinke et al., 2021; Wagner, 2005).
In conclusion, schools must be proactive in dismantling unjust systems of oppression in
education. They must equip students with the global competencies necessary to understand and
challenge power structures, increase intercultural sensitivity and appreciation of diverse
perspectives, and prepare them for future careers. Achieving this goal will require educators to
be educated and rooted in anti-racist philosophical underpinnings and adequately prepared in
critical pedagogies and transformative curricula to decolonize existing educational practices that
promote anti-Blackness and harm those minoritized students.

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The Black Education Research Collective at Teacher College (2022) emphasizes the
importance of decolonizing the curriculum and providing culturally relevant mentorship and
education to teachers who can meet Black students' academic and emotional needs. According to
their research, such teachers can create a safe and supportive learning and success environment
by understanding the impact of racialized experiences on children of color. As schools have
expanded their content, teachers must also expand their work to address racism in their daily
practice and contexts (Diem & Welton, 2020; Ramirez, 2016). However, the tools and strategies
needed to interrupt racism are ineffective unless teachers are primed to implement them in real
time. This means that it is not enough for teachers to have access to anti-racist resources; they
must also be equipped to use them effectively (Blakeney, 2005; Cheng & Soudack, 1994; DEI,
2013; Diem & Welton, 2020; Utt & Tochluk, 2016).
Teachers are crucial in helping students unlearn and interrupt racism by decolonizing the
classroom curriculum (Diem & Welton, 2020). Teachers play a significant role in shaping
students' conceptual understanding and academic success, as studies show a positive relationship
between students and teachers. To effectively combat racism in the classroom, teachers must also
examine how their past and present experiences shape their work as educators. As Kissling
(2014) and Ohito (2019) suggest, teachers must study themselves and their own experiences to
understand better their role in creating an anti-racist classroom. In doing so, teachers can expand
their capacity to challenge systemic racism and oppression and create a more equitable and
inclusive learning environment.
According to a 2021 analysis by Pew Research, White teachers continue to dominate the
education field. As Ohito (2020) notes, education is often seen as a "White, middle-class
woman's world." The National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal

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Survey, Public Schools Universe Survey, and Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates
reveal that around 80% of public-school teachers across the US are White. In schools where 90%
of students are students of color, Hispanic teachers represent approximately 28% of the teaching
force, while Black and Asian teachers account for 20% and 5%, respectively (Schaeffer, 2021).
This means that students of color are more likely to be in a classroom with a teacher who does
not reflect their ethnic identity (Will, 2020), and this is a critical issue (Utt & Tochluk, 2016).
More than 60% of California public school teachers are White (Diversifying the Teacher
Workforce, Ca Department of Education, 2022). The data highlights two immediate issues. First,
preservice teachers are primarily trained by White instructors. Second, most preservice training
courses lack the depth and breadth to prepare them adequately for the nuances and racial
understanding required to lead classrooms and teach students critical global competencies such
as the capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global, and cultural significance and
21st-century skills like collaboration and communication (Kishimoto, 2016; Naegeli et al., 2022;
Picower, 2009). The misalignment between students of color, the curriculum, teachers, and
school-based practices can lead to race-based trauma for marginalized students. Race-based
trauma is the psychological impact of discrimination and racism (Betters-Bubon et al., 2022).
Pieterse et al. (2016) found empirical evidence that racialized experiences with racism can lead
to depression, anxiety, traumatic stress symptoms, and psychological distress. Anti-racist
pedagogy and anti-racism, as Kinloch (2018) notes, are necessary disruptions to the status quo
that can address the psychological harm caused by racism. These disruptions require teachers to
consider how they teach, what they teach, why, and whom they teach. It also calls for teachers to
co-partner with students to address racial unrest in the classroom.

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Anti-racist teaching can help teachers respond to racial inequities, challenge dominant
views of racism, acknowledge how multi-dimensional identities intersect with educational
opportunities, and foster introspection about their racial perspectives (Arneback & Jämte, 2022;
King & Chandler, 2016; Kinloch & Dixon, 2017; Mueller & O'Connor, 2007). However,
knowledge of anti-racist actions is insufficient; teachers must be confident in combating racism,
especially when faced with resistance (Diem & Welton, 2020). Teachers must actively oppose
racism and equip students with the tools to dismantle and transform systems of inequality within
and outside of the school. This process requires teachers to be comfortable with emotions such as
discomfort, fear, anger, and love in anti-racist education (Arneback & Jämte, 2022; Kinloch &
Dixon, 2017; Kinloch, 2018; Wagner, 2005). Drawing on these emotions takes vulnerability and
courage (Brown, 2011). If Liberation Public Schools aims to address racism in its schools, it
must address teacher competency and confidence in implementing anti-racist practices. LPS
teachers must have adequate training to increase their confidence and be deeply rooted in their
ability to catalyze change since teachers play an essential role in making anti-racism real within
schools (Cheng & Soudack, 1994; Diem, & Welton, 2020; Kimura et al., 2022).
Lastly, recent incidents of racism on campus at Liberation Public Schools have reiterated
the urgent need for teachers to be equipped with tools to intervene, disrupt, and counteract
instances of racism directed towards students stemming from peers and adults within the school
setting. When teachers are armed with the tools and skills to address racism in the classroom,
they can help students affected by the deleterious effects of racism to regain focus, belief in self,
and motivation, which are crucial for learning. By developing anti-racist pedagogical practices,
LPS can fully embody its anti-racist aim and mission to create ''joyful and academically excellent
schools" (LPS School Website, 2022). Finally, the research can help LPS understand teachers'

14
needs and hesitancies when incorporating anti-racist practices into their professional practice. It
may also uncover the factors that motivate teachers to be anti-racist in their actions, and in their
core, foundational beliefs. Ultimately, the research may assist LPS in developing a custom anti-
racist framework to implement its anti-racist standards in a practical and well-thought-out
manner throughout its network of schools.
Organizational Context and Mission
Liberation Public Schools (LPS or Liberation Schools) is a non-profit organization
operating numerous tuition-free, open-enrollment charter schools across 19 Local Education
Agencies, educating nearly 15,000 students, and supporting over 9,000 alums to and through
college, per their website. The mission of LPS is to provide students with the skills to pursue any
path they choose, be it college, career, or beyond while fostering an environment of enthusiasm
and excellence. Liberation Public Schools has earned recognition as one of the Best Elementary
Schools & Middle Schools by U.S. News & World Report (Find the best K-12 schools - U.S.
news education, 2022). The student body at Liberation Public Schools comprises nearly 90%
Latinx, 8% Black, and 2% other students, with many receiving free or reduced-priced meals.
Additionally, 30% of students are English Language Learners, and 20% receive Special
Education Services. Liberation Schools employs nearly 100 licensed and certified counselors,
social workers, psychologists, and behaviorists to support its students. The school is committed
to cultivating a community that affirms diverse identities and makes families feel a sense of
belonging, as noted in the annual Diversity & Cultural Impact Report.
Liberation Public Schools is dedicated to diversity and inclusion and has recently
committed to dismantling racism within its schools. This commitment is supported by financial
resources and is reflected in the school's diverse leadership team, with 70% identifying as People

15
of Color. The official website for LPS emphasizes a holistic approach to education, including
mental health programs, social-emotional learning, character development, identity affirmation,
enrichment activities, and rigorous academics. A recent Diversity & Cultural Impact Report
states that LPS offers nearly 200 after-school instructors leading 75 enrichment programs across
all schools. In the words of Liberation Public Schools, "We are working to make a difference in
the communities we serve."
Organizational Performance Goal
By 2025, Liberation Public Schools aspires to enhance team members' anti-racist
knowledge, skills, and actions through a comprehensive approach. To achieve this goal, LPS
hired an external consultancy at the outset of 2022 to evaluate the organization's anti-racist
perceptions and requirements. A notable finding from the study is that only 32% of LPS team
members believe they possess the necessary content knowledge and facilitation skills to
intervene effectively when classroom biases or inequities arise. Moreover, most team members
reported feeling uncertain about voicing and acting on their commitment to anti-racism when
faced with opposition. Regarding confidence levels, only 34% of Black team members reported
feeling highly confident in speaking up and acting on their commitment to anti-racism, compared
to 15% of Asians, 22% of Latinx, and 22% of White team members.
Although the 2021 Diversity & Cultural Impact Report asserted that 100% of school
leaders cultivate an environment where diverse identities are affirmed and 96% of families feel a
sense of belonging, the diagnostic report indicates that more action is required. The
organizational goal is critical since it will enable LPS to address structural racism, establish
accountability structures, build organizational capacity, and disrupt white hegemonic structures
within their schools. The achievement of this goal will equip team members with the tools to

16
dismantle and combat systemic racism. Teachers will learn to recognize micro and macro
assaults, overcome silence and complicity, intervene, when necessary, reject deficit thinking, and
promote discussions with colleagues about equity concerns.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Liberation Public School has diverse stakeholders invested in the organization's efforts to
become anti-racist. The first group of stakeholders is the high-level leadership team, which is
responsible for overseeing the network's various independent charter schools. They are crucial in
providing exceptional leadership skills that align with the organization's commitment to
diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. Moreover, they are responsible for governance,
policymaking, fundraising, and setting the organization's vision. The regional leadership team is
another crucial stakeholder group. They are responsible for coaching staff, recruiting top talent,
providing career development and support, and ensuring schools have the necessary support
services. Furthermore, they are responsible for managing school leaders' performance by
coaching and monitoring them. They also operationalize teaching and learning by implementing
plans, collaborating with cross-leadership teams, and establishing outcomes at the regional and
site levels.
Site-based leadership, including principals, assistant principals, business managers, and
deans, are responsible for developing the school's strategic plan and implementing school
priorities and the school-wide vision. They provide instructional coaching and feedback, build
relationships, and have cultural competence. Additionally, they manage performance standards
for teachers and other team members and are tasked with hiring and firing. Lastly, teachers and
school-based support staff play a significant role in teaching, leading, and supporting student
development. They are responsible for implementing the strategic plan, designing instruction,

17
and providing feedback on student progress. Teachers are critical in promoting an anti-racist
culture by recognizing microaggressions, intervening when necessary, and promoting inclusive
and equitable classroom practices. As LPS moves towards becoming an anti-racist organization,
all stakeholders must play an active role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. As
stated by Angela Davis, "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist; we must be anti-
racist." By working together, LPS can create a safe and inclusive environment where all students
can thrive.
Stakeholder Group and Goal for the Case Study
Liberation Public School recognizes that all stakeholders have an interest in the school's
goal to become anti-racist; however, for this study, the focus is specifically on elementary and
middle school teachers as the primary stakeholder group. Teachers lead fully self-contained
classrooms, where they foster students' knowledge and skills, build their confidence, and
character, and create an inclusive and identity-affirming environment. This stakeholder group
wields considerable influence and can implement and influence change at the classroom and
school levels. Accordingly, to reach LPS' organizational goal by 2024, teachers must implement
and adopt the LPS anti-racist standards to confidently combat racism in their classrooms. The
teachers understand that LPS is committed to dismantling racism in education. As part of their
role and responsibilities, they spend time with families and implement classroom management
techniques to create a nurturing classroom environment. Teachers at LPS hold a bachelor’s
degree, have passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), and have a valid
preliminary or CLEAR credential.
Failing to increase teachers' capacity to apply anti-racist practices in the classroom will
continue to impact student belonging, learning outcomes, school community, and identity

18
development. Table 2 summarizes the organizational mission, stakeholder goals, and
organizational mission, emphasizing the importance of teacher engagement and the adoption of
anti-racist practices to achieve LPS' goals. As education scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings noted,
"Teachers are not just instructors; they are social and cultural workers who must be equipped to
work across cultural and racial lines and create an environment that is nurturing and accepting of
all students" (Ladson-Billings, 1995). Thus, it is crucial to equip teachers with the knowledge,
skills, and practices necessary to create inclusive and anti-racist classroom environments that
promote student success and well-being.
Organizational and Stakeholder Group Goals
Table 1
Organizational Mission, Organizational Goal, and Stakeholder Group Goal
Organizational Mission
To prepare students, with the skill to pursue any path they choose- college, career, and beyond. We will
create an environment of enthusiasm paired with excellence to create academically strong schools.
Organizational Performance Goal
By 2025, Liberation Public School teachers will implement and adopt the LPS anti-racist standards to
combat racism confidently in their classrooms.
Stakeholder Group Goal
By 2024, Liberation Public School teachers will implement anti-racist tools, strategies, and practices to
combat racism in their classrooms and at their schools.

19
Overview of Theoretical Framework and Methodology
The conceptual framework for this study is based on Rueda's (2011) three dimensions of
improving performance: knowledge, motivation, and organization (KMO). This framework will
guide the study in identifying the barriers and assets in these dimensions to help LPS determine
the necessary training, tools, development, and organizational practices to support its
organizational performance goal of becoming an anti-racist institution by 2024. To better
understand the knowledge dimension of KMO, the study will utilize anti-racist pedagogy, which
challenges the role of racism in schools' structures, policies, and practices. Alderman et al.
(2019) emphasizes the importance of acknowledging that current educational efforts may not
serve the needs of racially oppressed groups. Anti-racist pedagogy will determine the content
knowledge, strategies, and skills teachers need to effectively employ anti-racism in the
classroom.
Teacher efficacy theory was employed better to understand teachers' motivation for anti-
racism Teacher efficacy is teachers' belief in their ability to carry out tasks related to their roles
and responsibilities (Bandura, 1977). Pierce (2019) notes that teacher efficacy is associated with
student achievement. Combining these frameworks will help identify the factors that can
potentially increase teachers' confidence and application of anti-racist practices. Figure 1 visually
represents the connection between the three learning dimensions (KMO), anti-racist pedagogy
and teacher efficacy. The study's primary goal was to help Liberation Public operationalize its
anti-racist efforts and drive stakeholder performance.
Utilizing a qualitative research design, interviews served as the primary tool for data
gathering and analysis in this study. Theory triangulation and member-checking increased the
study's quality and validity. By using this methodology, the study aims to identify the

20
knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors that act as barriers or assets to anti-racism in
the classroom and help LPS achieve its organizational performance goal update.
Figure 1
The Conceptual Framework for this Research Study

Definition of Terms
To establish understanding, the reader must know the terms used in this study. Below,
critical terms related to the study are defined.
Anti-Bias Curriculum are centered around (a) nurturing each child’s social identities, (b)
encouraging children to learn about differences and similarities across people, (c) building
children’s critical thinking skills to recognize unfairness and understand that unfairness hurts,
and (d) empowering children to act against instances of prejudice and discrimination. (Kimura et
al., 2021).

21
Anti-Racist Theory: “The anti-racism approach goes beyond a focus on racism and
addresses other forms of oppression. Combined with techniques and strategies from the other
models, it examines the parallels, intersections, and distinctions between all forms of oppression.
Bringing in concepts of dominant group privilege and internalized oppression, the approach
addresses both dominant and oppressed group members and makes connections to all forms of
oppression. At its best, the anti-racism approach links the micro-analysis and the macro, the
personal and the political. It requires deep self-examination and requires action in our personal,
professional, and political lives. The anti-racism approach is transformative, and not additive,
reformist, or assimilationist” (Derosa, 2001).
Anti-racist pedagogy focuses on connecting the individual classroom with personal and
institutional contexts. Although anti-racist pedagogy requires instructors to reflect on what they
teach and how they teach it, the aim is to disrupt white supremacy in all educational contexts.
Inclusive teaching, while important in challenging systemic inequities, stops short in its analysis
of structural racism, power relations, and social justice. Anti-racist pedagogy attempts to teach
about race and racism in a way that fosters critical analytical skills, which reveal the power
relations behind racism and how race has been institutionalized in U.S. society to create and
justify inequalities (Kishimoto, 2018).
Cultural Competence is the ability to collaborate effectively with individuals from
different cultures; such competence improves health care experiences and outcomes (Nair &
Adetayo, 2019).
Discrimination is defined as the unjust and differential treatment of the members of
different ages, gender, racial, ethnic, religious, national, ability identity, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic, and other groups at the individual level (e.g., the behavioral manifestation of

22
prejudice involving negative, hostile, and injurious treatment of the members of targeted groups;
APA, 2021b) and the institutional/structural level (e.g., operating procedures, laws, and policies)
that favor certain groups over others and has the effect of restricting opportunities for other
groups (American Psychological Association, 2021).
Equity means providing resources according to the need to help diverse populations
achieve their highest state of health and other functioning. Equity is an ongoing process of
assessing needs, correcting historical inequities, and creating conditions for optimal outcomes by
members of all social identity groups (American Psychological Association, 2021b).
Global Majority, also known as people of the global majority (PGM), is a collective term
that encourages those of African, Asian, Latin American, and Arab descent to recognize that
together they comprise the vast majority (around 80 percent) of people in the world.
Understanding the truth that Whiteness is not the global norm has the power to disrupt and
reframe our conversations on race (Maharaj & Campbell-Stephens, 2021).
Liberatory Practices refer to liberatory thinking which lifts up and institutionalizes
culturally relevant and sustaining opportunities that celebrate students’ identities and offer
positive developmental experience, it broadens how teachers interpret and interact with students
and build relationships in affinity and across difference. (CPS Equity Toolkit, n.d.)
LPS is an acronym used for Liberation Public Schools
Marginalization is defined as relegation to or placement in an unimportant or a
depowered position in society (APA, 2017a).
Microaggressions are commonly occurring, brief, verbal or nonverbal, behavioral, and
environmental indignities that communicate derogatory attitudes or notions toward a different
“other.” Microaggressions may be intentional or unintentional, and the perpetrators may possibly

23
be unaware of their behavior (APA, 2017a). Microaggressions can accumulate over time and
lead to severe harm.
Racism “is a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on physical
properties such as skin color and hair texture. This “system” unfairly disadvantages some
individuals and groups and damages their health and mental health. Its effects range from daily
interpersonal interactions shaped by race to race-based opportunities for good education,
housing, employment, etc. It is reflected in disparities in, but not limited to health, wealth,
income, justice, and voting. It also unfairly advantages individuals belonging to socially and
politically dominant racial groups. Racism is structural, institutional, interpersonal, and
internalized” (American Psychological Association, 2021).
Structural racism results from laws, policies, and practices that produce cumulative,
durable, and race-based inequalities, and include the failure to correct previous laws and
practices that were explicitly racist (American Psychological Association, 2021).
White privilege is defined as unearned power that is afforded to White people on the basis
of status rather than earned merit and protects White people from the consequences of being
racist and benefitting from systemic racism; such power may come in the form of rights,
benefits, social comforts, opportunities, or the ability to define what is normative or valued
(American Psychological Association, 2021).
White supremacy is the ideological belief that biological and cultural Whiteness is
superior and normal and healthy is a pervasive ideology that continues to polarize our nation and
undergird racism (American Psychological Association, 2021).

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Organization of the Dissertation
Responding to the pressing need to combat racism in education, this study sought to gain
a deeper understanding of the knowledge, skills, motivational, and organizational factors that
enable teachers to apply anti-racist practices in their classrooms and incorporate them as an
evidence-based educational pedagogy. Chapter One provides a detailed overview of the practice
problem in California, particularly in Los Angeles, emphasizing the significance of the study and
introducing the research questions, theoretical framework, and methodological approach. In
Chapter Two, an extensive literature review was conducted on the history of racism in American
schools, the effects of racism on students, and the role of teachers in enhancing student
performance, along with a thorough analysis of anti-racist and teacher efficacy theories and
Rueda’s (2011) three dimensions of improving performance. Chapter Three outlines the study’s
methodology, including the selected sample, criteria, and data collection and analysis
instruments. Chapter Four presents the research findings and addresses the research questions.
Finally, Chapter Five examines the implications of the findings and provides recommendations
for future research and practice.

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In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.
— Angela Y. Davis
Chapter Two: Literature Review
This literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current research on
racism in American schools and its impact on students of color, with a particular focus on the
role of teachers in creating inclusive classrooms. Additionally, the chapter presents Reuda's
(2011) three dimensions of performance conceptual framework, which is based on Clark &
Estes's (2008) gap analysis framework. This framework helps identify the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational factors required for Liberation Public School teachers to adopt
anti-racist practices and support the academic success of Black and Latinx students. The
literature review also delves into the anti-racist theory, which informs the knowledge domain and
helps understand various approaches to eliminate educational inequity. Finally, the review
explores teacher self-efficacy theory and the significance of goal setting in motivating teachers to
engage in anti-racist practices.
Racism and White Privilege in America
Racism continues to be a deeply ingrained issue in America, impacting marginalized
communities, particularly African Americans, for centuries (Du Bois, 2005/1903; Hannah-Jones
& New York Times Company, 2021; Wilkerson, 2020). The enduring presence of racism has
had profound and lasting effects on these communities. As early as 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois
observed that race had become a divisive system that pitted people against each other (Du Bois,
2005, p. 9). More than a century later, racism remains an entrenched issue, as evidenced by the
surge in racist attacks against Asians and the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and
George Floyd in 2020 (Chavez, 2020; U.S. Civil Unrest, 2021). Such events sparked national

26
protests and calls for racial justice and equity (NPR, 2020). According to the American
Psychological Association, racism is a system that structures opportunities and assigns value
based on physical properties such as skin color and hair texture, resulting in unfair disadvantages
and harm to individuals and groups (APA, 2020). This literature review also examines the
evolution and expansion of Whiteness as a racial identity linked to White privilege, which
confers unearned benefits, access, and opportunities (Roediger, 2019; McIntosh, 1988; Lensmire
et al., 2013). This literature review offers a critical analysis of the deep-seated issue of racism in
America by examining its historical roots and contemporary ramifications; particular emphasis is
placed on its profound impact on marginalized communities. Peggy McIntosh, a white social
justice educator, and activist, powerfully explains the impact of racism using a poignant visual
metaphor. She elucidates:
As I see it, there is a hypothetical line of social justice running parallel to the ground.
Below it, people or groups are pushed down in a variety of ways. Above it, people and
groups are pushed upward in a variety of ways. I believe that all of us have a combination
of experiences that place us both above and below the hypothetical line of social justice”
(p. 289).
McIntosh articulates the insidious nature of White privilege as "an invisible package of unearned
assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain
oblivious" (McIntosh, pp. 1-2). While acknowledging White privilege is crucial, Lensmire et al.
(2013) caution that focusing solely on individual privilege can overlook the systemic nature of
White supremacy. Blum (2008) and Lensmire et al. (2013) argue that a preoccupation with
White privilege can be insufficient in addressing the larger structures of oppression. Lougue
(2005) highlights that studies on White privilege frequently accentuate the advantages of

27
Whiteness while neglecting its debilitating consequences. "Anti-colonial and critical social
scholars, however, might be inclined to point out that the "free ticket," the "special provisions,
maps, passports, and blank checks" lead not to the land of luxury and freedom but into a state of
dehumanization, "psychic alienation," and "corporeal malediction." And with the rise of
"instrumental reason" and new forms of domination, the "privilege" of the "administered
individual" is to be a participant in a catastrophic form of liberation, which provides only a
hollow semblance of freedom" (p. 374).
Giroux (1999) and Blum (2008) contend that a more effective way to understand White
privilege is to critically explore the structural origins of privilege and examine the power of
White identity. Additionally, it is vital to recognize the intersections of race with gender
(Gilespie et al., 2002). Giroux (1999) cautions that new forms of racism emerge under the guise
of "welfare reform," "neighborhood schools," and "tough on crime," which disburden Whites of
social responsibility and commitment. To dismantle racism, it is imperative to shift focus from
individual White privilege to the larger macro-issues of racism and privilege and to engage in
anti-racist projects that aim at societal change (Blum, 2008). “Suppose we shift[ed] from the
question, “How can I divest myself of White privilege in my own life?” to the quite different
question, “What can I do to make my society more racially just?” That question can lead down
very different paths and lead to quite different anti-racist projects that have a different kind of
meaning to students who engage in them” (Blum, p. 318, 2008). The ultimate goal of anti-racist
teachings should be to examine how White dominance functions, is attained, and maintained in
American society and schools. Therefore, white people must undertake anti-racist projects and
work towards dismantling racism.

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Racism in American Public Schools
Racism is an insidious force that has evolved, changing its appearance, targets, and
methods (Hatt-Echeverria & Jo, 2005). In the 19th century, education was employed as a tool of
oppression, culminating in the Massachusetts Supreme Court's ruling that segregation was
acceptable. This ruling paved the way for the development of the IQ test, which Stanford
psychologist Lewis Terman based on Alfred Binet's intelligence test in 1917. Unfortunately, the
test was used by schools to discriminate against Black, Native, and Mexican children, unfairly
stratifying education services (Varon, 1936).
In the 1940s, the Orange County Federal appeals court struck down segregation for
Mexican American schools in the Mendez v. Westminster (1946) case. The 1950s saw the
landmark Brown v. Board of Education (1954) of the Topeka case, which consolidated five
separate court cases challenging racial segregation in public schools. One of the cases, The Davis
v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia (1954), was a high school student
who organized a protest to contest the poor conditions of their school similar to Briggs v. Elliott
(1952), where parents brought a lawsuit against the school board president for the unequal
conditions and demanded school buses just as they were provided for White students. One
hundred and seventeen Black students were the plaintiffs.
The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case (1954), filed by the NAACP, presented
social science evidence of the dangers of segregation to African American children. Dr. Kenneth
Clark, the nation's leading psychologist at the time, testified that segregation negatively affected
African American children's self-esteem and psyche (National Archives, 2016). Another case,
Bolling v. Sharpe (1954), argued that segregation was unconstitutional, depriving students of
equal protection rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. In Delaware, two separate

29
cases were brought by Black families complaining of unequal educational resources. In Belton v.
Gebhart (1952) and Bulah v. Gebhart (1952), parents claimed their African American children
attended inferior schools. A white adoptive parent, Sarah Bulah, was shocked to find her Black
child subject to segregation laws in the state (National Archives, 2016). Finally, the underlying
case brought forth in 1951 was Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka (Kansas) by Oliver
Brown, a Black father and minister, on behalf of his 5th-grade daughter, Linda, who was denied
admission to her local White elementary public school and forced to attend all Black. School
across town. Black students were the plaintiffs in all five cases, each asserting a violation of their
equal protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court declared segregation unconstitutional, granting
Black Americans access to education on an equal basis. Brown II, issued in 1955, commanded
states to desegregate schools "with all deliberate speed" (National Archives, 2016). However, in
the 1960s, federal marshals had to protect Ruby Bridges, Gail St. Etienne, Leona Tate, and
Tessie Prevost from an irate mob to attend a newly integrated school in New Orleans (PBS, nd).
In the 1970s, busing desegregation was implemented, but research from Harvard's Civil Rights
Project revealed that schools were more segregated in 2000 than in 1970 when busing began
(PBS, nd).
Segregation in American Public Schools
The Brown v Board of Education (1954) Supreme Court ruling was made 67 years ago.
However, racial segregation in American schools is more pervasive and harmful than ever,
especially to students of color, according to Richards (2014). Ong and Rickles (2004) discovered
that schools are more segregated than most neighborhoods. Sohoni and Saporito's (2009)
research studies indicate that schools are not only facilitating segregation but reproducing the

30
same policies Brown v. Board aimed to dismantle. According to Frankenberg et al. (2003), the
decline in legal support of desegregation policies led to the end of "desegregation and grants of
unitary status to subsequent resegregation in schools." (Richards, 2014, p. 1120).
Most of the research literature on segregation points to the "indirect effects of boundaries
on segregation" (Richards, 2014, p. 1121). Clotfelter (2004) and Orfield (2002) suggest that
people choose where they want to live based on a set of factors that may include schools in the
neighborhood, but this also means that people choose to live near people who look like them,
perpetuating segregation. Richards (2014), however, disagrees with this notion and argues that
educational boundaries directly affect residential decisions. These decisions are based on
attendance zones that "carve up the area of a district in ways that are not racially neutral," and
"gerrymandered" boundaries may provide an additional layer of stratification that exacerbates
existing patterns of residential segregation" (p. 1121).
Rosiek and Kinslow's (2015) work aims to understand the real-time effects of segregation
on students' overall experience. They argue that recognizing the importance of symbolic
messages of segregation on students' psyche complements other studies focusing on the effects
of employment and incarceration rates. Rosiek and Kinslow (2015) found that segregation
communicated to students that they were "unworthy" and that "racial justice was an unreasonable
social hope" (p. 112). These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the
implications of racism in today's schools, especially when exposed to segregation and racist
mindset and beliefs held by teachers and students.
Perception of Racism in Today’s Schools
Brinson (2014) conducted a national study using a mixed-methods approach to determine
the perceptions of racism in public schools. The study found that there was a low level of

31
perceived racism, but when school personnel's self-attributes or organizational attributes and the
perceived presence of racism were assessed, school personnel who identified as African
American and Latinx in Western states perceived racism to a greater degree. This finding
suggests that racism is more prevalent than what is initially perceived.
Another study by Bañales et al. (2019) aimed to examine youth perceptions of school
racial messages and their acknowledgment or denial of the reality of racism. The study found
that critical consciousness was positively associated with critical reflection of perceived
inequality and that critical reflection of inequality predicted youths' anger toward racial injustice.
These findings suggest that students' perception of critical consciousness predicts their
involvement in anti-racism activism.
Brinson (2014) argues that much of the racism in schools is political and that many
policies disadvantage certain groups over others due to party lines. However, there is a lack of
systematic analysis of racism on campuses by school personnel, which prevents an
understanding of the individual race-based experiences of students of color and the effects of
racism on their lives.
Effects of Racism on Children of Color
This section delves into the ramifications of racism and internalized racism on students of
color. A comprehensive comprehension of racism in schools and its direct impact on students
can reveal why dismantling racism in educational institutions is crucial. Moreover, it can provide
insight into what educators need to grasp about the pivotal role racism plays in the academic and
personal lives of students of color. Racism and internalized racism harm students of color
personally and academically. The impact of racism on students of color can be seen in the
academic achievement gap between students of color and their white peers. Research has shown

32
that the achievement gap is not due to innate differences in intelligence but rather to systemic
racism in education that negatively affects students of color (Ladson-Billings, 2006).
Isolation and Health
Johnson (2020) argues that racism has a detrimental effect on the mental health of
students of color, leading to feelings of isolation, shame, and self-doubt. Such feelings can
impair academic performance and contribute to absenteeism and low graduation rates.
Furthermore, when racism is not addressed, it can lead to internalized racism, where students of
color may begin to believe that their race is inferior, leading to low self-esteem and a lack of
confidence. As articulated by Hurtado et al. (2020), internalized racism can also cause students
to disengage from academic activities, feeling that they are not worthy of academic success. It is,
therefore, imperative to recognize and address the damaging effects of racism on students of
color and provide them with the necessary support to ensure academic success and personal
growth.
The deleterious effects of racial isolation on the mental health of students of color are
numerous and severe (McCarthy, 2019). Regrettably, children of color are acutely aware of the
substandard social and academic status that society and schools have relegated them to (Carter,
1953). As a result, they "respond with feelings of inferiority and personal shame" upon
experiencing high levels of school segregation and inequality (Carter, 1953, p. 294). In the
University of California San Francisco's (UCSF) study on school segregation by Wang et al.,
(2019) revealed that racial segregation is associated with heightened behavioral problems among
Black school-aged children and reduced levels of well-being in Black children. The researchers
concluded:

33
School segregation was associated with worse outcomes on several measures of well-
being among Black children, which may contribute to health inequities across the life
span. These results highlight the need to promote school racial integration and support
Black youth attending segregated schools. (p. 1)
According to Wang et al. (2019), increased school segregation has been linked to higher
rates of alcohol consumption among Black girls. This finding highlights the harmful impact of
racism and segregation on the mental health and well-being of students of color. Racism is not
just a social issue; it is a public health crisis affecting marginalized communities' health
outcomes (American Public Health Association, 2021; Trent et al., 2019).
The American Academy of Pediatrics also recognizes the devastating impact of racism on child
and adolescent health, stating in their report 'The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent
Health' that:
Children experience the outputs of structural racism through place (where they live),
education (where they learn), economic means (what they have), and legal means (how
their rights are executed). Research has identified the role of implicit and explicit
personally mediated racism (racism characterized by assumptions about the abilities,
motives, or intents of others on the basis of race)78 as a factor affecting health care
delivery and general health outcomes. (Trent et al., 2005, p. 3)
Extensive research has highlighted the deleterious effects of racism on the physical and mental
health of children, particularly with regard to chronic stress at the cellular level (Jones et al.,
2016; Williams et al., 2019). In addition to this, children of color face systemic barriers to
accessing good healthcare, healthy foods, and quality education, further exacerbating health
disparities (Braveman et al., 2014; Woolf et al., 2015). As a result, the risk of health problems

34
increases for Black, Hispanic, and American Indian populations, underscoring the urgent need to
address these inequities' root causes (Kahn et al., 2019).
Post-Traumatic Syndrome Trauma Effects
While many acknowledge the destructive nature of racism, few consider the enduring
impact of racial socialization and programming on Black individuals. In her work, Joy DeGruy
Leary (2018) explored the stressors slavery and post-emancipation inflicted on the Black psyche
and body. Generations of racial oppression and socialization have resulted in centuries of
unaddressed traumatic injuries, leaving Black individuals with cultural, political, and social
handicaps. Leary (2018) referenced the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-V) to highlight the factors contributing to symptoms associated with trauma-based
disorders. The DSM-V's diagnostic criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) begin
with identifying a stressor that could be death, the threat of death, or a severe injury that was
experienced, witnessed, or confronted in one or more of the following ways: directly
experiencing the event, learning that the event occurred to a close family member or
friend, experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic
event(s), and experiencing other types of indirect exposure to the traumatic event(s), such
as witnessing it in person or through media (Leary, 2018, p. 13).
Leary's (2018) research delves into how slavery and racial oppression meet the DSM-V's criteria
for a traumatic event and causes PTSD symptoms among Black individuals. She explains how
the traumatic experiences of Black ancestors were transmitted to future generations through
epigenetic changes. Therefore, the impact of historical trauma is still felt in Black communities
today.

35
Leary's (2018) work demonstrates the importance of understanding the long-term effects
of racial socialization and oppression on Black individuals. It is crucial to recognize the harm
done and work towards healing these traumatic wounds to enable Black people to move forward
culturally, politically, and socially. Although the damaging effects of racism are widely
recognized, few consider the long-term impact of racial socialization and programming on Black
individuals. Joy DeGruy Leary's work has highlighted the unique stressors that enslavement and
post-emancipation thrust upon the Black body and psyche, leading to untreated trauma wounds
that have left Black people culturally, politically, and socially handicapped. Given the history of
legalized discrimination and oppression experienced by African Americans, many have been
exposed to these stressors and suffer from symptoms of PTSD, such as sleep disturbance,
diminished interest, problems with concentration, trauma-related thoughts or feelings, negative
alterations in cognitions and mood swings, and negative beliefs about oneself (Leary &
Robinson, 2018). Much of the post-traumatic stress has been passed down through systematic
and systemic racial socialization and disturbing traumatic wounds of the legacy of racial
oppression in America (Leary & Robinson, 2018).
The effects of these traumas can be passed down through generations via genetic
memory, meaning that memories of stress experienced by one's ancestors can be inherited (Leary
& Robinson, 2018). Recent studies have explored the impact of African American enslavement
on modern-day issues such as self-esteem, internalized racism, academic achievement, health,
employment, and housing (Clark et al., 1999; Goosby & Heidbrink, 2013; Rotimi et al., 2016;
Scott-Jones & Kamara, 2020; Walters, 2012). However, empirical evidence on this topic can be
challenging to establish. Despite this, an enormous amount of historical data has been devoted to

36
writing about how Black Americans were oppressed and marginalized historically (Taylor, 2019;
Stevenson, 2020).
Leary describes post-traumatic slave syndrome (PTSS) as a "condition that exists when a
population has experienced multigenerational trauma resulting from centuries of slavery and
continues to oppression and institutionalized racism today" (Leary & Robinson, 2018, p. 105).
The effects of PTSS range from a diminished sense of worth and value to ever-present anger and
the adoption of White values and standards, perpetuating racist socialization (Leary & Robinson,
2018). Racist socialization plays a significant role in the development of PTSS. As Leary and
Robinson (2018) explain, when White individuals are constantly depicted as superior and more
influential, Black individuals may feel pressured to adopt White values and principles to survive.
This unique socialization process, which stems from four centuries of legalized discrimination,
programmed oppression, and institutional racism, has been identified as a primary cause of post-
traumatic slave syndrome. PTSS manifests in psychological and emotional symptoms, including
vacant self-esteem, persistent anger, and internalized racism (Leary & Robinson, 2018). These
symptoms reflect the deep-seated effects of multigenerational trauma resulting from centuries of
slavery and ongoing institutionalized racism. The process of overcoming PTSS is complex and
requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the condition's underlying causes.
Internalized Racism
Roberts et al. (2008) define internalized racism as a range of responses such as attitudes,
behaviors, and social structures by individuals who experience oppression within a system that
upholds White supremacy and dominance. This phenomenon can have a profound impact on a
person's self-esteem and self-image (David et al., 2019). Internalized racism can also lead to
feelings of inferiority, self-doubt, and low self-esteem (Sue & Sue, 2013). It can also lead to self-

37
hatred and a rejection of one's racial identity. A recent study by Robeson et al. (2021) explored
the relationship between internalized racism and self-esteem among People of Color, while
controlling for depressive symptoms. The results showed a significant association between
internalized racism and self-esteem among People of Color. Internalized racism is a complex
phenomenon that goes beyond self-hate, low self-esteem, or colorism, as suggested by Speight
(2007), and Ahn et al. (2022). Bivens (2008) argues that internalized racism can be characterized
by one of four interconnected components:
1. Naming the problem: People of Color do not get to name their problems; the system in
place purposely misnames the problem causing the people who experience oppression to be
in exaggerated stereotypes about themselves (p. 49).
2. Decision making: People of Color do not have decision-making power over the elements
that control their lives. This may lead People of Color to not support other People of Color
who have authority or power- mainly if it opposes the dominant racial group (p. 48).
3. Resources: Money, time, food, and employment are not distributed equally. They are under
the control of White people. This causes People of Color to enact self-imposed barriers that
make it difficult for them to access resources, particularly from other People of Color (p. 48).
4. Standards: The social standards and expectations for what is average or exceptional are
based on White acceptability, which causes People of Color to have difficulty naming their
values and standards. Instead, People of Color may operate from standards set in place as a
reaction to systematic racism (p. 49).
Internalized racism can manifest in various ways, and students of color are not immune to
its effects. As Bivens (2008) explains, internalized racism can lead individuals to adopt beliefs
and behaviors that perpetuate the very system of oppression that they are subject to. In the

38
context of schools, students of color may engage in behaviors reinforcing dominant narratives of
Whiteness, such as downplaying their cultural heritage or striving for academic success solely to
assimilate into White culture. These behaviors do not necessarily reflect individual character
flaws but rather a coping mechanism to navigate a system designed to marginalize them. By
recognizing and understanding the impact of internalized racism on students of color, educators,
and administrators can work towards creating a more inclusive and affirming learning
environment for all students.
Disciplinary Practices in School
When analyzing disciplinary actions against students of color, numerous studies have
shown that these students are disproportionately suspended (ACLU, 2021). Black students, in
particular, are subject to negative biases perpetuated by systemic racism. According to Leary and
Robinson (2018), Black boys are often seen as less innocent and more mature than their White
same-age peers, which leads to their being mistreated by school administrators and law
enforcement. Similarly, Black girls are often oversexualized and viewed as more adult-like than
their White same-age peers (Wilson, 2017). The study by Dr. Jamilia Blake found that Black
girls ages 5-9 were viewed as older and less innocent than their White peers, leading to less
protection and comfort being provided to them.
Exclusionary discipline practices in schools have been linked to the school-to-prison
pipeline for marginalized students (Fenning & Rose, 2007). Black youth are often suspended and
expelled at disproportionately high rates compared to their White peers (Gonzalez & Szecsy,
2004; Skiba & Rausch, 2006). Teachers and school officials often label students of color as
uncontrollable or dangerous, leading to their being targeted for punishment (Casella, 2003).

39
Vavrus and Cole (2002) argue that teachers tend to label deeds in a way that pushes students to
be removed from the classroom when they feel they have lost control.
Hirschfield (2008) suggests that schools view student discipline through the "prism of
crime control," which can lead to a prison-like atmosphere in many inner-city public schools.
This approach perpetuates values of order and discipline at the expense of the well-being of
students. In 2017, the Brown Center Report on American Education encouraged schools to
reduce out-of-school suspensions. However, research by Loveless (2017) and Owens and
McLanahan (2019) demonstrates that suspensions and expulsions still disproportionately impact
Black students. A new study by Francis Pearman and his colleagues (2019) has found that an
increase in discipline or achievement among Black and White students in the US can predict an
increase in the other. Therefore, efforts to close achievement gaps between Black and White
students can reduce the disproportionate discipline of Black students.
Achievement Gap
The Achievement Gap refers to the unequal distribution of educational outcomes and
benefits, which has persisted for decades in the United States (NAEP Gaps - Achievement Gaps,
2011). Since the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision (1954), researchers have
attempted to understand and address the racial and ethnic differences in the achievement gap
(Kurtz-Costes et al., 2014). Structural racism is a significant factor contributing to these
disparities, according to Merolla and Jackson (2019), who found that young White adults are
more likely to have bachelor's degrees than their Hispanic and Black counterparts. The National
Center for Educational Statistics (2018) confirms that White students have higher graduation
rates and income levels than students of color. Unfortunately, students of color are often

40
reminded of these disparities through their environment, media, and schooling, leading to
feelings of inferiority and disengagement (Hope et al., 2015).
Research on the achievement gap has identified various factors contributing to its
persistence, such as poverty, minority status, and lowered academic expectations for minorities
in schools (Bali & Alvarez, 2003; Great Schools Partnership, 2013). Mickelson (2001) found that
Black students were often assigned less qualified teachers and placed in schools with fewer
learning opportunities. Ethnic groups that experience prejudice or discrimination in America's
racial hierarchy are also more likely to face educational obstacles. Lower-income families have
less access to quality preschools and experience economic stress, making it difficult for them to
engage with their children's education (Rouse & Barrow, 2006). Moreover, systemic issues such
as food quality, employment, and housing also contribute to the well-being deficit children from
lower-income households bring to school, putting them at a disadvantage. The pandemic has
further widened the achievement gap, particularly between majority Black and majority White
schools, due to disparities in resources, technology access, and support (Dorn et al., 2022).
Acknowledging and addressing these structural issues is crucial to ensure that all students have
an equitable opportunity to succeed in their education.
Approaches to Dismantling Racism in Education
There have been numerous approaches to dismantling racism in education (Kinloch &
Dixon, 2017; Fiorentino, 2019). This literature review examines a few of them, the respective
goal of each, and the shortcomings that exist within them. Educators are called upon to think
critically about how they will work toward creating more equitable outcomes for all students,
especially students of color and those who are the most vulnerable and marginalized. Therefore,
educational researchers have been theorizing frameworks that support social justice teaching and

41
culturally relevant approaches, among a few, but some researchers assert that the promising
transformation of these approaches has “yet to happen soundly and consistently in the field of
educational leadership” (Emerick, 2022; López; Khalifa et al., 2016, p. 1272). Below is a focus
on four approaches: legal compliance, color-evasiveness, diversity, equity and inclusion, and
anti-racism.
Legal Compliance
The legal compliance approach to valuing diversity ensures that students receive what
they need according to the law. It is based on legal theory, civil rights, and human resource
strategies and is focused on recruiting individuals who reflect diverse measures. Terms such as
‘protected classes and ‘non-discrimination’ policies reflect this approach. Although the optimal
state is color-evasiveness, laws like affirmative action within the legal compliance paradigm are
color-conscious. However, the contradictions within this approach are not carefully examined. It
also does not encourage practitioners to examine the systems or structures themselves but instead
attempts to assimilate everyone into the dominant culture. The legal approach has flaws, which is
unsurprising given that the legal field is disproportionately and overwhelmingly White.
According to Anderson (2009), Whites make up almost 90% of lawyers, despite comprising only
67 percent of the U.S. population. The goal of legal compliance is to avoid litigation.
Conflict among groups arises primarily from individual biases, lack of compliance with
civil rights laws, and organizational exclusionary procedures. The legal compliance approach is
not concerned with social change but with adherence to legal standards. (DeRosa, 2001, p. 2).
Civil rights law is based on the foundation of human rights, an ideology that reflects liberal
ideology but reflects no real or relevant chance (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995, p. 62).

42
Multiculturalism and Color-Evasiveness
The tolerance approach aimed to address social inequities by attributing racial problems
solely to prejudice and viewed as an individual issue. Maureen Costello, the director of Teaching
Tolerance, stated in an interview with Harvard Ed Cast that Teaching Tolerance was launched by
the Southern Poverty Law Center in 1991 to combat prejudice. However, as schools became
integrated, the idea of Tolerance was criticized for failing to go far enough. As a result, Teaching
Tolerance has shifted its focus to prejudice reduction, intergroup relations, and promoting
equitable experiences in schools across the nation (Anderson, 2017, 3:58). The Tolerance
paradigm is limited in its perspective on the connections between prejudice and institutional
systems of oppression. It holds the belief that prejudice arises from a lack of knowledge about
different cultures, and its objective is to change individual attitudes and behaviors (Lee et al.,
2008). Teaching Tolerance comes with a set of assumptions about children of color, such as the
idea that they require multicultural education to develop self-esteem or that children in schools
without children of color do not need multicultural education.
On the other hand, color evasiveness is often referred to as colorblind theory. Annamma,
Jackson, and Morrison (2017) argue that colorblind theory, as a racial ideology, conflates a lack
of eyesight and knowledge. In other words, this term equates blindness with ignorance, which is
inherently ableist. However, "the inability to see is not ignorance; in fact, blindness provides
unique ways of understanding the world to which sighted people have no access" (Kishimoto,
2018, p. 154). Color evasiveness accepts a degree of racial unawareness that results in policies
that ignore how institutional racism affects student life, overlook data and research on racism in
education, and downplay the role of race in educational inequities. Furthermore, unintentionally,
color evasiveness "exacerbates any racial inequities that may already exist" (Diem & Welton,

43
2020, p. 6). Ruth Frankenberg's concept of color evasiveness, introduced in her 1993 book White
Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness, describes the effects of ignoring or
avoiding racial differences in society. Frankenberg argues that this mindset makes race a non-
issue and blames People of Color, mainly since they are no longer enslaved (Frankenberg, 1993).
Although some acknowledge that racial differences exist, they tend to discuss race in more
"polite" and "safer" terms, further perpetuating the problem of evasive color thinking
(Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 142, 149). However, for those impacted by racism, avoiding the topic is
dangerous and passive (Diem & Welton, 2020). Unfortunately, color-evasive thinking has even
infiltrated educational policies, resulting in racial inequalities in schools today. Such policies
create the illusion of racial neutrality, leading people to believe that justice is served equally
when they perpetuate systemic racism (Diem & Welton, 2020; p. 15).
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Approach
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) emerged as a response to colorblind racial
ideology and racial formation theory, emphasizing the need to acknowledge diversity and
provide equitable opportunities within a setting (Bonilla-Silva, 2006; Omi & Winant, 1994). The
concept of diversity values differences in identities, cultures, ethnicity, race, education, and
sexual orientation. However, it can often be reduced to tokenism, where non-White bodies
symbolize diversity, and the mere presence of those who do not match the dominant racialized
group is seen as a sign of dismantling racism. This approach fails to question how and why
disparities in access, participation, and achievement persist (Emerick, 2022, p. 229). Diversity as
intent can appear in the form of harmful equality initiatives that do not take affirmative steps to
address disparate enrollment or outcomes (Thompson, 2013).

44
Equity, on the other hand, is about providing individuals with what they need to succeed
by removing barriers limiting their ability to thrive. However, the approach lacks an analysis of
oppression and the existing barriers for people and does not center on institutional policies or
procedures or acknowledge cultural misunderstandings (DeRosa, 2001). Although well-
intentioned, it focuses on general fairness, better utilization of resources, and better customer
service, without addressing systemic racism. DEI recognizes the need for diversity and equity
but acknowledges the need for inclusion. Inclusion refers to creating a sense of belonging and
valuing individuals' unique perspectives and experiences. It centers on institutional policies,
procedures, and cultural understanding to address systemic barriers that prevent individuals from
feeling a sense of belonging and thriving within a setting. DEI requires intentional action and
commitment to address racial inequities and dismantle systemic racism:
Diversity ideology does not demand that individuals take specific actions to promote inclusion or
equity. Simply by favoring differences across many categories (e.g., race, sexual orientation,
lawn care preferences), one is seen as equitable and inclusive (Mayorga-Gallo, 2014, p. 23).
While well-intentioned, the DEI approach in schools often fails to address the root causes of
racism and inequities. Teachers and administrators often use the language of diversity, equity,
and inclusion to claim they value inclusion without taking significant action to address systemic
racism. This results in a shallow approach that fails to implicate those in power for perpetuating
inequalities. Smith and Mayorga-Gallo (2017) assert that White leaders are not held accountable
for their decisions and actions that maintain and perpetuate racial disparities. Therefore,
educators and school leaders must critically examine their practices and policies, recognize their
complicity in upholding systemic racism, and take affirmative steps toward dismantling
oppressive structures. As Emerick (2022) argues, DEI initiatives must go beyond the surface

45
level and actively interrogate the underlying causes of inequities to bring about meaningful and
sustainable change.
Anti-Racism
Anti-racism is an activist approach aimed at dismantling racism, which has its roots in the
civil and human rights struggle, liberatory education, and anti-oppression work. Anti-racism
draws upon various models, including interculturalism, multiculturalism, legal compliance,
diversity, and equity approaches, and goes beyond a focus on racism to address other forms of
oppression (Corneau & Stergiopoulos, 2012; Dixson et al., 2017; Kimshimoto, 2018; DeRosa,
2001). Combined with techniques and strategies from the other models, it examines the parallels,
intersections, and distinctions between all forms of oppression. It interweaves the concepts of
dominant group privilege and internalized oppression. The approach also addresses dominant
and oppressed group members and connects to all forms of oppression; it requires deep self-
examination and action in our personal, professional, and political lives. It is inclusive,
transformative, and not additive, reformist, or assimilationist. (DeRosa, 2001, p. 3-4). DeRosa
(2001) states that anti-racism is inclusive, transformative, and not additive, reformist, or
assimilationist. It combines techniques and strategies from other models to examine the parallels,
intersections, and distinctions between all forms of oppression. It addresses dominant and
oppressed group members and requires deep self-examination and action in our personal,
professional, and political lives.
Anti-racism draws on critical race theory (CRT), founded on the notion of racial realism
and the salience of racism in conversations about oppression. CRT is concerned with
transforming the relationships among race, racism, and power and requires a radical, activist

46
approach and counter-narratives to the hegemonic stories that reify and reinscribe White
privilege (Betters-Bubon et al., 2022; Fiorentino, 2019, p. 60).
The work of Ladson-Billings and Tate (1995) in Towards a Critical Race Theory in
Education brought together the connections between critical race theory and anti-racist
educational practices. Their groundbreaking work argued that by understanding how race
functions in society, one could use it as an analytical tool to understand educational inequity.
Additionally, they argued that using critical race theory in education is a radical critique of the
status quo and the purported reforms. Since anti-racism-racism is an activist approach that draws
on various models and critical race theory. It requires deep self-examination and action in
people’s personal, professional, and political lives and goes beyond focusing on racism to
address other forms of oppression.
Anti-racism is not simply about including everyone in the dominant culture because that
would replicate the traditional model by reinforcing hierarchies. Instead, anti-racism recognizes
how structures must be fundamentally changed and reimagined (Emerick, 2022; DeRosa, 2001).
As Dei (2013) notes, "speaking, thinking, and acting explicitly against racism is the only way to
work toward racial justice and, indeed, important work remains to be done" (Fiorentino, 2019, p.
59). To be anti-racist, educators must engage in critical self-reflection that requires them to
examine their positionality, privileges, and biases that may harm, dismiss, or diminish students'
abilities. Biases can be both explicit and implicit, and often, a practitioner's implicit bias can
perpetuate stereotypes and negative judgments without "conscious intention" (Betters-Bubon et
al., 2022, p. 4; Ladhani & Sitter, 2020; Love et al., 2016). Even individuals with a high level of
cultural proficiency can exhibit bias (Devine et al., 2012), which can be detrimental in the
classroom. Therefore, an anti-racist perspective encourages practitioners to assess, question, and

47
interrogate their habits, attitudes, and conscious and unconscious thinking to consider the
potential impact on students. Furthermore, not understanding one's privilege could cause race-
based harm and harm to students' identity, "ultimately leading to misunderstanding or
misinterpretation of the students' perspectives and actions and avoidance, distancing, and
detachment in [teacher] student relationship" (Betters-Bubon et al., 2022, p. 4; Hays et al., 2007;
Vodde, 2001).
Undoing racism in schools is critical for the well-being and success of students of color,
so anti-racism is a necessary perspective for educators to adopt to create a more equitable and
inclusive learning environment. It requires critical self-reflection and a commitment to actively
challenging racism and structures that reinforce White privilege. Educators must acknowledge
and address their privilege to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment. Teachers
need to understand the role that racism plays in the lives of their students and work to create an
anti-racist environment in their classrooms. This includes acknowledging and addressing issues
of racism, bias, and privilege and actively working to create an inclusive and equitable learning
environment for all students. As Richardson (2010) notes, "Teachers must be willing to
acknowledge the existence of racism, to name it, and to resist it" (p. 11). Only by actively
working to undo racism in schools can we create a more just and equitable society.
The Role, Mindset, and Approach of the Anti-Racist Teacher
Anti-racism is a pedagogical approach rooted in critical race theory that demands a
thorough examination and critique of the material, structural, and ideological mechanisms of
White supremacy (Ledesman & Calderón, 2001, p. 206). As a teaching philosophy, anti-racism
holds great potential for addressing the persistent inequities in education (Blakeney, 2005).
Racism, institutionalized in American society, is a permanent and integral component severely

48
affecting children of color (Bell, 1992, p. 9; Kinloch & Dixon, 2017). Anti-racist teachers are
necessary disruptors who employ anti-racism in the classroom to address issues of power,
privilege, and class to close the learning, opportunity, resource, and achievement gaps
(Kimshimoto, 2018; Blakeney, 2005).
Anti-racist Pedagogy: Definition, Theory, and Professional Development by Blakeney
(2005) defines the ideology of Anti-racist Pedagogy as the development of consciousness related
to how society operates concerning race (p. 121). According to Paulo Freire (1990) and Blakeney
(2005), consciousness is built through reflection, dialogue, action, and praxis grounded in anti-
racist pedagogies that seek to dismantle injustice and oppression for transformation.
Transformation of the world is achieved through a critical perception of reality driven by
dialogue that "awakens awareness" (Freire, 2000, p. 127). Transformation, as defined by
Mezirow (2000), is the process of learning "to negotiate and act on our purposes, values,
feelings, and meanings rather than those we have uncritically assimilated from others'' (p. 8).
Thus, anti-racist teachers critically analyze race, learn about White Supremacy, and engage in
race-based dialogues that decenter White as right while centering and acknowledging students'
cultures. Anti-racist pedagogy reflects the world based on the perception of the oppressed,
enabling change in the reality of oppression (Blakeney, 2005).
Brown (2002) recommends that teachers have a few foundational understandings when
embarking on anti-racist teaching.
1. Consider how racism has permeated the world,
2. Investigate racism from a cultural, historical, political, and social perspective,
3. Identify racist ideology to deal with the cognitive dissonance due to the emotional nature
of racism,

49
4. Develop an in-depth understanding of the language of oppression and the actions that
perpetuate it from both Whites and non-Whites and Undergo extensive mediation training
and critical and active listening to address inequity powerfully.
Carter and Goodwin (1994) stress the importance of teachers understanding their identity and
positionality with their students and society. Teachers must reflect critically to avoid transferring
misconceptions and prejudices to their students. Anti-racism is grounded in a nuanced and
dynamic pedagogical approach (Miller, 2021), requiring teachers to reflect on their cultural
beliefs and how they impact their views and experiences of students (Canniff, 2008; McCalman,
2007). Culturally responsive and relevant teaching are two pedagogical strategies that connect
students' identities to their learning (Gay, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 1992). Culturally responsive
teaching utilizes students' cultural characteristics and backgrounds to adapt to students by seeing
them as sources of knowledge. In contrast, culturally relevant pedagogy emphasizes problem-
solving and reasoning about students' experiences. While anti-racism compels teachers to:
1. Self-educate and acknowledge racial trauma
2. Interrogate your positionality and unconscious bias
3. Address curricular gaps with intentional course design
4. Foster a compassionate class community to meet students where they are
5. Engage the wider community and commit to action beyond the classroom.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement among educators to view schools as
places where communities are sustained rather than destroyed by racism (Paris & H Samy Alim,
2017; Ladson-Billings, 2019). To achieve this goal, George Sefa Dei (1996) proposed a series of
principles for an anti-racist framework, drawing on research from Britain, Canada, and the
United States. The framework is designed to help school personnel examine race and its social

50
effects, including issues of White power and privilege, intersectionality, marginalization, holism,
identity, diversity, reproduction of inequalities, contextualization, and pathologizing of the
family environment.
For the anti-racist educator, it is crucial to understand the emotional challenges that come
with this type of pedagogy and to prepare oneself for the process of learning, which is of "critical
importance" (Wagner, 2005, p. 263). According to Wagner (2005), the teacher must approach
this work with profound authenticity and acknowledge that some deeply entrenched beliefs will
be challenged, leading to an unsettling experience for some students. Anti-racist educators also
recognize the link between content and practice and are aware of what is taught, how it is taught,
and by whom. This is especially important since anti-racist education critiques systems of
oppression and aims to work toward social justice (Garcia et al., 1990; Dei, 1993). Although
anti-racism cannot be reduced to a method or set of strategies, there are habits of mind and
dispositions that the anti-racist practitioner embodies to support students' academic learning
goals while working to transform the world (Kinloch & Dixon, 2017; Wagner, 2005).
Below is a short list of characteristics and distinctions of the anti-racist teacher, as pulled from
multiple education researchers:
● Deep understanding of the social effects of race
● Recognition of White power and privilege
● Knowledge of intersectionality
● Awareness of marginalization and holism
● Emphasis on identity and diversity issues
● Critique of the reproduction of inequalities
● Understanding of contextualization and the pathologizing of the family environment

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● Commitment to authenticity and acknowledging the potential for discomfort in the
classroom
● Awareness of the link between content and practice
● Recognition of the importance of working towards social justice.
These characteristics serve as important guideposts for anti-racist educators, but it is important to
remember that this work is ongoing and requires constant reflection and growth.
● Teachers should be cognizant of the realities of racial injustice in education and be
willing to honestly acknowledge how these policies can negatively impact how they lead
(Diem & Welton, 2020, p.13).
● Teachers need to "ensure their everyday actions are drawn from an anti-racist orientation"
and what practices they need to engage in that purposively address "social, political, and
educational oppression" (Diem, Carpenter, & Lewis-Durham, 2019, p. 711).
● To actively be anti-racist in both their values and practices, teachers need to understand
the system of racism, its influence on society, and purposefully act to confront issues
pertaining to race and racism in their districts and school communities (Brooks, 2012;
Diem & Carpenter, 2013, p.2; Gooden & Dantley, 2012; Gooden & O'Doherty, 2015;
Young & Laible, 2000)
● Teachers must understand that focusing on "race, equity, and justice serves to critique the
production and maintenance of oppression and inequity in many US" urban public
schools (Kinloch& Dixon, 2017, p. 334).
● Teachers must be knowledgeable of "racist belief systems such as meritocracy, and
challenge such beliefs through education, raising awareness, and advocacy." Also, they

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must challenge practices based on these belief systems, such as tracking into higher and
lower systems of education "(Brison, 2015, p. 116).
● Teachers must understand the difficulty of anti-racism. It requires that we take a brutal
and unflinching critical look at our culture and ourselves in order to understand our role
in maintaining racism (Amico, 2016, p. ix)
● It is through co-conspirators that educators move from culturally proficient to anti-racist
practitioners.
● Teachers must locate ruptures and resist naturalized silence about racism (Roberts et al.,
2008)
● Research has shown that schools today need leaders who are willing to be discomforted
and transformed. Leaders who understand their role in combating racism are vital (Brine,
2005)
● Remember your limitations. You, too, are shaped by racism; do not think of yourself as
the exception, the "good White" or "lone hero," the shining example for your students
(Thompson 2003b, 2008). This is an important reminder and complements Applebaum's
insistence that White people can never escape complicity, though they can try to avoid
denying it (2010).
● Anti-racist teaching is about awakening students to their humanity. In order to teach
about this awakening, one must be in the process of awakening oneself- “There is no way
around it. I am a work in progress as much as every one of my students” (Amico, 2016, p.
ix).
Anti-racist pedagogy is an active and evolving framework that aims to confront education
inequality while challenging the prevailing social, political, and cultural norms that sustain

53
racism. The theoretical underpinnings of anti-racist pedagogy are rooted in critical theory, which
is focused on dismantling power structures. Educators equipped with the necessary knowledge
and skills can effectively contribute to "shifting the paradigm" and working towards creating a
society that is anti-racist (Blakeney, 2005, p. 130).
Teachers' Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
As Chapter One describes, Clark and Estes' (2008) conceptual framework will be utilized
to frame the present study. The framework will be employed to investigate teachers' knowledge,
motivation, and organizational capacity at Liberation Public Schools. This investigation aims to
understand how teachers can effectively implement and adopt the LPS anti-racist standards, with
the ultimate aim of combating racism in their classrooms by 2025. The following section will
outline the factors influencing the stakeholders' knowledge, motivation, and organizational
capacity to improve their performance and become confident anti-racist practitioners who can
effectively identify and disrupt unjust and inequitable practices.
Knowledge and Skills
Understanding the type of knowledge required to meet performance goals is crucial, as
stated by Rueda (2011). Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) further classified knowledge into
different types, emphasizing the importance of clarifying the knowledge domain. The
organization and structure of knowledge reflect the constructivist tradition of learning, and
clarifying the knowledge goal is necessary for effective implementation.
1. Factual knowledge, or declarative knowledge, indicates knowledge of details and
elements of a specific discipline.
2. Conceptual knowledge is knowing an area's theories, models, and categories. It reflects
the interrelationships among the essential aspects (Krathwohl, 2002).

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3. Procedural knowledge refers to how to do something, the methods of inquiry, and the
criteria for using skills, algorithms, and techniques. Experience gained through
procedural knowledge reflects this domain.
4. Metacognitive knowledge is knowledge of cognition as general awareness of one's
cognition (knowledge about cognitive tasks) or self-knowledge.
The knowledge that teachers need to possess to achieve their performance goals can be
divided into distinct categories, as shown in Table 2. The first category is declarative knowledge,
which includes tacit knowledge that emphasizes the impact of racism on students and the use of
anti-racist pedagogy to combat it. This requires teachers to grasp the terminology, information
resources, and technical knowledge necessary to address social, political, and educational
oppression. Diem and Welton (2020) and Rueda (2011) noted that teachers must understand
what they must do to combat racism and promote equity. The second category, conceptual
knowledge, involves teachers understanding the difference between various social justice
approaches and anti-racist theories. Teachers must understand these concepts to implement anti-
racist pedagogy in their classrooms effectively.
The third category, procedural knowledge, encompasses teachers' ability to implement
anti-racist strategies daily. This includes prevention, intervention, restorative techniques,
methods, and criteria to dismantle individual and systemic racism and bias. The final category,
metacognitive knowledge, highlights the importance of teachers' self-reflection on their social
position with the students they teach and their effectiveness in implementing anti-racist
strategies. This requires teachers to critique themselves and evaluate their significance in
cognitive retention, including appropriate contextual and conditional knowledge (Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001). By outlining these distinct types of knowledge, stakeholders can understand

55
what teachers need to know to achieve their performance goals. This knowledge also helps
identify which areas may require more or less stakeholder support.
Table 2
Knowledge Influences
Knowledge Type Assumed Knowledge Influence
Declarative Teachers’ knowledge about the impact of racism on students and how
to combat it and how to address social, political, and educational
oppression
Conceptual Teachers’ knowledge about anti-racist theory and how it differs from
other approaches to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Procedural

Teachers’ ability to implement (prevention, intervention, and
restorative) anti-racist strategies into their daily activities
Metacognitive

Teachers’ self-reflection on their social position and effectiveness in
implementing anti-racist strategies, tools, and procedures into their
daily classroom activities

Motivational Influences
Motivation is a critical factor that can significantly impact an individual's performance.
Psychological factors include self-efficacy, attributions, task value, goals, influence, and
motivation (Rueda, 2011). Persistence, mental effort, and choice are observable indicators of
motivation (Seli & Dembo, 2019). Training can help improve performance, but motivation
accounts for approximately 50% of all performance results (Clark, 2015). However, many
consider motivation a stable trait or focus on strategies to excite the learner. These approaches

56
have minimal impact on long-term motivation or performance (Clark, 2015). Motivation is a
process that entails instigating and sustaining goal-directed activity (Schunk et al., 2009, p.4).
True motivation includes several elements, such as a solid commitment to goals, persistence,
monitoring goal value and confidence, and investing necessary mental effort in plans (Rueda,
2011). Commitment is a crucial ingredient in motivation. Researchers have found that people
who lack commitment tend to downplay essential goals and are easily distracted by other tasks
they deem more important but often fail to support business goals (Clark, 2015). The equation
for goal commitment is Task Assessment (Can I do it) x Emotion (Do I feel like it) x Values
(Utility, Interest, Importance) = Goal Commitment (Clark, 2015).
Table 3 outlines two motivational influences that will support the stakeholder group with
increased performance: 1) Teachers' confidence in implementing anti-racist strategies into their
daily curriculum plan, and 2) Teachers' set goals for achieving an anti-racist classroom
environment so students can feel safe and thrive academically. These motivational influences
will drive the teachers to commit to the performance goal and transfer it long-term. Underlying
these motivational influences is the self-efficacy of teachers. Pajares (2010) defines self-
efficacy as a person's perceived ability to obtain a goal by completing specific tasks. According
to him, self-efficacy has "four sources: experience, vicarious experience, social persuasions, and
physiological reactions" (p. 2). Teachers must believe they can apply anti-racist strategies to
prevent or decrease racialized experiences in the classroom and intervene to disrupt and
dismantle racism daily. The motivational influences outlined in Table 3 are essential for teachers
to create a safe environment, free of racial structures and practices, to support their student's
academic success.

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Table 3
Motivation Influences
Motivation
Construct

Motivation Influence

Self-Efficacy

Teachers' confidence to implement anti-racist pedagogical tools and
strategies to support retention in their daily management activities.

Goal setting

Teachers set goals for achieving an anti-racist classroom environment so
students can feel safe and academically thrive.

Organizational Influences
The success of a school's stakeholder group is heavily influenced by knowledge,
motivation, and organizational factors. One crucial aspect of organizational influence is the
interplay between cultural models and settings (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). According to
Gallimore & Goldenberg (2001), models are shared understandings of how the world works and
encode event interpretations that indicate how one should respond. They are "tools for the mind"
that shape behavior and guide decision-making (Cole, 1985, p. 47). Cultural models are implicit,
less visible, and emerge from shared experiences over time.
On the other hand, cultural settings refer to the context in which stakeholders work
together to accomplish something (Goldenberg, 2001). Workplace settings significantly

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influence stakeholder performance, and success in achieving performance goals is highly
dependent on establishing cultural settings that support the goal within a particular ecology
(Rueda, 2011; Goldenberg, 2001). Table 4 lists the assumed organizational influences on the
stakeholder group when the goal is to have all Liberation Public Schools teachers adopt and
implement anti-racist standards confidently in their classrooms. The organizational cultural
setting aims to equip stakeholders with strategies, tools, and procedures to combat racism in the
classroom. The cultural model ensures that anti-racist strategies are implemented across the
organization, with site-based leadership modeling how to implement them on their campus.
When cultural models and settings are established in an interrelated manner, stakeholders
can be assured that the implementation of evidence-based anti-racist strategies is backed by the
organization and baked into the organizational model. As Goldenberg (2001) notes, Cultural
models and culture create the fabric of organizational life.
Table 4
Organizational Influences
Organizational Influence
Category
Organizational Influences
Cultural Model Influence 1 The organization adopts and implements anti-racist strategies
from onboarding, policy making, training, and beyond to
model the use of anti-racism for teachers.
Cultural Setting Influence 2 The organization commits to supporting LPS teachers with
anti-racist tools and strategies to use in their classrooms.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of racism in American public schools has persisted despite efforts
to challenge racial segregation. Students of color continue to face segregation, racial violence,
and internalized racism, among other effects of racism on their day-to-day experiences. Many
approaches have been used to address these resource, opportunity, learning, and achievement
gaps. However, anti-racism has shown promise as an approach committed to interrupting and
dismantling systems of oppression. It requires teachers to challenge their understanding of race,
engage in critical reflection and action, and build their cultural proficiency to affirm students and
families. As Freire (1970) notes:
Education either functions as an instrument that is used to facilitate the integration of the
younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about to it or it becomes
the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and
creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world
(p.34)
Anti-racism is about understanding racism as a coordinated system of oppression that is
not simply a matter of individual prejudice or misbehavior. Kishimoto (2018) notes that it
requires understanding the interconnected nature of how the individual, institutional, and the
broader connection to power and privilege work. When teachers understand this
interconnectedness, they can strategically and thoughtfully dismantle racism in their classrooms.
However, there is a need for research on teachers' perceived knowledge, motivation, and
organizational needs to help them successfully implement anti-racist pedagogy in their
classrooms daily.

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Betters-Bubon et al. (2022) note that teachers need to engage in anti-racist praxis—
critical reflection and action—to increase their awareness, identify biases, and build their cultural
proficiency. They argue that anti-racist pedagogy can be successful only when it is backed by
organizational support and when cultural settings and models are established to support the
performance goals of the stakeholders. This includes providing teachers with strategies, tools,
and procedures to combat racism in the classroom and implementing anti-racist strategies across
the organization.
In summary, anti-racism has shown promise in dismantling systems of oppression in
education, but there is still much work to be done. Educators are responsible for creating a more
just and equitable educational system for all students. Therefore, teachers must reflect critically
and act to build their cultural proficiency and identify their biases. Given this assertion, it
becomes crucial to establish cultural settings and models that support the performance goals of
the stakeholders. With these interventions, teachers can effectively intervene and dismantle
racism daily in their classrooms and schools.

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If you believe in a cause, be willing to stand up for that cause with a million people or by
yourself.
-Otis S. Johnson
Chapter Three: Methodology
This chapter provides an overview of the methodology used in this study, including the
research design, participants, sampling criteria and strategy, ethical considerations,
trustworthiness, limitations, and delimitations. It is presented in alignment with the study's
purpose and research questions. The methodology of this study is designed to answer the
research questions and achieve the study's purpose. The chapter includes a description of the
participating stakeholders and how they were selected. Additionally, it discusses the sampling
criteria and strategy used to recruit participants for the study. Ethical considerations, including
the potential risks and benefits of the study, are addressed. To ensure the study's trustworthiness,
the chapter discusses the measures taken to ensure rigor, including using multiple data sources,
member checking, and triangulation. The limitations and delimitations of the study are also
addressed. Finally, the chapter discusses my positionality as a researcher and potential biases and
risks that could affect the study's data or harm the participants.
Statement of the Problem
Racism in schools is a pervasive issue that can take many forms, including institutional
practices that reinforce dominant norms through the selection of curriculum, racialized policies,
teaching practices, and teacher expectations (Blakeney, 2005). In California, where this study is
focused, racialized laws and policies have profoundly impacted public schools, including
segregation (Orfield & Ee, 2014). Los Angeles, one of California's largest cities, is home to the
second-largest public school district in the United States, the Los Angeles Unified School

62
District (LAUSD). Racialized policies have disproportionately affected minority students in
Southern California public schools (District Information, 2016; Orfield & Ee, 2014). To address
the impact of race in K-12 classrooms, anti-racism pedagogy informed by critical race theory
(CRT) aims to dismantle the power structures and institutions that reinforce White hegemonic
imperialism and White supremacist thought. Delgado and Stefancic (2012) identify five critical
distinctions of CRT, which emerged from Legal Studies:
1. Race is not a biological construct but a social one.
2. Race and racism are a regular everyday occurrence in the United States.
3. Essentialism is damaging. The membership of a single group cannot identify
members. Intersectionality occurs at all times.
4. Legal advances or setbacks serve the interest of the dominant group. This is known
as interest convergence. Racial hierarchy may be reinforced in the legal status of oppressed
people through ‘'interest convergence''; therefore, it persists.
5. People of Color have a unique history in the United States and can speak to their
experience to provide insight into the legal system. This is known as a counter-narrative
Anti-racist pedagogy fosters analytical skills on how racism has been institutionalized to
engineer inequalities systematically, but it also is a commitment to interrupting systems of power
and privilege (Betters-Bubon et al., 2022). According to Delpit (1988, p 282), schooling is
dominated by a "culture of power." Delpit posits that schools belong to those who are in power.
The epistemologies and values of the powerful underpin the very structures of schools.
Therefore, education can and should be a site for dismantling and challenging dominant
ideologies, as Kishimoto (2018) declared. Since teachers are the primary force with the most
influence on a child's day-to-day experience, helping teachers utilize anti-racist pedagogy as the

63
core pedagogical practice is crucial. However, what is more necessary, according to Diem,
Carpenter, and Lewis-Durham (2019), is "ensuring [teachers'] everyday actions are drawn from
an anti-racist orientation pushing them to deeply reflect and notice what practices they need to
address social, political, and educational oppression purposely" (p. 3).

64
Purpose of the Study
This action research study aimed to identify the knowledge, tools, training, and
development teachers need to become confident and skilled anti-racist practitioners.
Additionally, it seeks to explore how Liberation Public Schools (LPS), a pseudonym, can support
its teachers in implementing anti-racist protocols across the network. By adopting an anti-racist
practice, teachers can actively work towards eliminating racism in schools (Eddie, 2021; Ohito,
2019). However, while many teachers recognize the problem of racism in schools and are
committed to dismantling it, they often struggle to translate their beliefs into action (Arneback &
Jämte, 2021). This study seeks to understand what resources and tools teachers need to bridge
the gap between their internal beliefs and values on anti-racism and their ability to act on them.
Having teachers in the classroom who believe in the role of racism in education and the skills
and confidence to intervene can significantly impact students' learning culture and academic
outcomes. This research focuses on Liberation Public Schools, a charter school network that has
taken a definitive stance in incorporating anti-racist pedagogy into their schools. The following
research questions guided this study:
1. What are teachers' perceived knowledge needs to address anti-racism in the classroom?
2. How do teachers experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or racism on
campus?
3. What are teachers' motivations for adopting organization-wide change goals?
4. What support do teachers need from LPS to effectively roll out organization-wide anti-
racist standards?
The study's practical goals will help generate a set of understandings to help Liberation Public
Schools improve their anti-racist professional development process.

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Organization Overview
Liberation Public Schools is a Southern California charter school network. The schools
are tuition-free public schools and are 100% non-profit. As a charter school network, LPS is held
to state and federal academic standards and is funded primarily through the state using a
combination of federal, state, and local tax dollars and private donations. Each of LPS's schools
operates as an independent charter school. They are granted a charter by a local education agency
(LEA) responsible for holding the charter school to the highest standards and accountability. The
charter is renewed every five years by the LEA. Nearly 20% of LPS students receive special
education services.
Liberation Public Schools is a renowned educational network that caters to nearly 15,000
students and supports over 8,000 alums through college. The organization is committed to
meeting the diverse needs of all learners and strives to unlock each student's full potential. A key
priority at LPS is ensuring that every student has access to highly qualified teachers who are
well-versed in their craft and can empathize with their students' unique challenges. The network's
schools prioritize developing the whole child, cultivating culturally relevant classrooms, and
implementing rigorous academic programs across all disciplines. The school system has been
recognized for its innovative educational approaches, with some of its schools receiving
accolades, such as the California Distinguished Schools award from the California Department
of Education, which recognizes exemplary schools in the state. The organization's mission is to
create a learning environment that fosters the magic of each learner, empowering them to reach
their full potential.
Liberation Public Schools (LPS) focuses on creating an educational environment that
affirms students' identity while improving their academic performance, especially in reading and

66
math. LPS also prioritizes outreach and support for students who are homeless, identify as
LGTQIA+, or have special needs. Teachers at LPS are trained in trauma-informed approaches to
help students regulate their emotions and be ready to learn. The organization integrates health
programs into the schools and communities they serve.
After the murder of George Floyd, LPS updated its diversity, equity, and inclusion
initiatives and committed to becoming an anti-racist organization. This means acknowledging
that racialized experiences perpetuated in the classroom can block the academic achievement of
minority students. To further their social justice efforts, LPS hired consultants to audit
departments, assess curriculum and assessments, and check for misalignment within the
organization. Additionally, anti-racist workshops were facilitated to support team members in
creating structural and organizational change.
The basis of this study focused on four schools within the Liberation Public Schools
network located in Southern California. The four schools included two elementary and two
middle schools, each with a unique curricular focus detailed in Figure 2. The student population
of the LPS network is predominantly Latinx, comprising approximately 90% of the student body,
with 8% African American students and 2% other ethnicities and races. The selected schools
have varying demographics, with two having an 80% or more Latinx student population and the
other two having a more evenly distributed population of Black and Latinx students. Each school
has a unique identity that serves a distinct community and operates under the LPS network. For
this study, the identity of each school has been concealed to ensure anonymity.

67
Figure 2
Participating Schools
______________________________________________________________________
School 1: Marcus Garvey Elementary LPS focuses on social justice and civic engagement for
K-4 students.
______________________________________________________________________
School 2: Happy Elementary LPS is rooted in arts-based leadership, character education and
community service for K-4th grade students.
______________________________________________________________________
School 3: Growth & Achievement LPS is built on determination, high standards,
and leadership for 5th-8th grade students.
______________________________________________________________________
School 4: Cesar Chavez LPS is focused on helping 5th-8th grade students thrive despite their
obstacles.
______________________________________________________________________

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Participating Stakeholders
This study focuses on teachers' crucial role as critical stakeholders in Liberation Public
Schools. The school's primary objective is to prepare children for college and careers while
nurturing their sense of identity and potential contributions to society. In line with its mission,
the school meticulously screens prospective teachers to ensure their unwavering commitment to
anti-racism. The institution prioritizes hiring educators dedicated to creating an equitable,
inclusive, and anti-racist learning environment that fosters academic excellence for all students.
While most schools have standard hiring requirements, Liberation Public Schools particularly
emphasizes candidates who espouse values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The school looks
for teachers who can uphold its mission and prioritize equity and anti-racism in their teaching
practices. Upon being hired, teachers are expected to affirm their students' diverse identities, use
culturally responsive teaching methods and set high expectations.
During the 2021-2022 academic year, all teachers at LPS participated in a school-wide
anti-racist diagnostic survey. The survey findings indicated a considerable gap between the
teachers' commitment to anti-racism and their ability to act on their commitment. This study
sought to explore the perspectives and needs of LPS teachers to become anti-racist teachers and
counter racism in education, both in theory and in practice. By understanding the challenges and
support teachers require, the school can better equip them to create an anti-racist learning
environment where all students can excel.
Types of Participants
A set of criteria was used for this study to select participants from across the network to
reflect the insight of teachers at Liberation Public Schools. Using criterion-based selection
(LeCompte & Schensul, 2010), the following criteria will be used to select participants:

69
Criterion 1. Participants must be lead teachers who run the classroom learning and
assessment domains at one of the four Liberation Public Schools selected for this study.
Criterion 2. Participants range in characteristics such as gender and ethnicity.
Criterion 3. Participants have attended at least one anti-racist workshop sponsored by the
network.
This sought to gain insights from a diverse group of teachers working in four different
schools within the Liberation Public Schools network. Purposeful sampling was employed
because it reflects what is “typical and average in the phenomenon being studied” (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016, p. 97). A more comprehensive understanding of the types of support teachers was
gained by selecting teachers from schools with varying student backgrounds and needs. The
approach of selecting teachers with maximum variance, as advocated by Glasser and Strauss
(1967), helps to capture the full range of needs, insights, and experiences of the stakeholder
group. Although non-probability sampling does not enable generalization, it provides valuable
insight into the diverse viewpoints within the organization. It can aid in finding solutions that
work for teachers in different settings at Liberation Public Schools.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
The research methodology used teacher interviews to gain insights into what LPS
teachers require to practice anti-racism consistently and confidently in their classrooms. To
ensure the study accurately represented the population of LPS teachers according to gender and
ethnicity, a stratified sampling approach (Lochmiller & Lester, 2017) was employed, selecting
three teachers from each of the four schools for a total of twelve teachers. Purposeful sampling
was used to gain insight thoughtfully (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).

70
A pre-screened questionnaire (Appendix A) was utilized to recruit participants who met
the established criteria. This questionnaire was sent to teachers in the four selected schools, and
those who did not fit the established criteria for participation were eliminated. The questionnaire
aided the stratified sampling process to ensure the study had a representative sample across the
network. Teachers who pre-screened and matched the selection criteria were invited to
participate (Lochmiller & Lester, 2017).
Interviews
Data collection involves more than just collecting bits and pieces of information from the
environment. It involves gathering "direct quotations from people about their experiences,
opinions, feelings, and knowledge" through interviews (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 105).
Qualitative research interviews differ from standard everyday interviews as they serve as a
structured conversation with a specific purpose set forth by the study's design (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016, p. 107). DeMarrias (2004) defines an interview as "a process in which a researcher
and participant engage in a conversation focused on questions related to a research study" (p.
55). This research utilized interviews as they helped to answer the research questions and
provided insight into the significant societal issue of racism in public schools. Interviews were
selected as they enabled me to discover what could not be directly observed (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). The most significant benefit of the interviews was that they allowed me to understand the
teachers' points of view.
As part of the qualitative research design, a recorded interview method using Zoom to
conduct interviews with each of the twelve selected participants served as the primary data
collection and analysis instrument. The research used a standard open-ended interview approach,
also known as semi-structured, meaning that the topic, questions, and sequence were specified in

71
advance (Patton, 2002). Although the research sought specific answers to the research questions,
it also aimed to understand the emerging point of view of the participants (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016), leaving room for new ideas on the topic. The interviews lasted approximately 60 minutes
and were designed to elicit responses that would help the researcher understand the topic better
and gain insight into possible solutions from the perspective of the stakeholder group (Patton,
2015). The interview protocol was developed using Patton's (2002) question types, which cover
opinion, knowledge, background, values, and behavior/experiences to ensure a wide range of
responses. Payne (1951) asserts that asking questions is an art. Patton's six question types also
helped to ensure various responses while revealing the participants' worldviews and uncovering
any contradictions, insights, or misconceptions in their thinking. The interviews were conducted
in English, as all participants in Liberation Public School are proficient in the language. The
terminology utilized with the stakeholders during the interview was native to anti-racist
pedagogy. It was clear and consistently understood by the participants.
During the interviews, the researcher recorded field notes with clear notations that were
easily organized during analysis. Analytic memos were also written after each interview to
document the participants' thoughts, concerns, and questions. Ongoing analysis was carried out
to ensure focus, with data analysis co-occurring with data collection so that the final product was
"shaped by the data that are collected and the analysis that accompanies the entire process"
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 197). In the data analysis process, open coding was used in the first
phase to identify empirical codes and apply a priori codes from the conceptual framework. The
second phase involved aggregating the empirical and a priori codes into analytic/axial codes,
while the third phase identified pattern codes and themes that emerged about the conceptual

72
framework and research questions, ensuring that the codes were conceptually congruent
(Maxwell, 2013).
Data Analysis
Data analysis is a crucial step in the qualitative research process. Flick (2013)
defines data analysis as the process of categorizing and interpreting linguistic or visual data to
uncover implicit and explicit dimensions and structures of meaning-making. In this study, data
analysis was conducted simultaneously with data collection to ensure that the data and the
analysis process shaped the final product. Field notes were taken and organized with clear
notations to facilitate analysis, and analytic memos were written after each interview to
document participants' thoughts, concerns, and questions. Ongoing analysis ensured focus, and
the data were analyzed both in and out of the field. The analysis followed a three-phase
approach, starting with open coding to identify empirical and a priori codes, then aggregating
codes into analytic/axial codes, and finally, identifying pattern codes and themes related to the
conceptual framework and research questions. The codes were checked for conceptual
congruence to reflect the data accurately. This rigorous data analysis approach helped uncover
rich insights into the experiences and perspectives of the LPS teachers regarding practicing anti-
racism in the classroom.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
Qualitative research assumes that reality is dynamic, multi-dimensional, and constantly
evolving (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This assumption has implications for ensuring credibility
and trustworthiness in research design. The researcher is the primary instrument for data
collection and interpretation, so their paradigm can shape the analysis. Therefore, this study used
theory triangulation (KMO, Teacher Self-Efficacy Theory, and Anti-Racist Theory) to increase

73
credibility and quality and avoid the pitfalls of relying on a single method or investigator's biases
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 245). Additionally, respondent validation or member checking was
employed to obtain participant feedback and confirm their statements' accuracy. The researcher
also looked for data supporting alternative explanations and engaged in reflexivity to consciously
acknowledge their assumptions and biases. As a Black woman in America with educational and
professional teaching credentials at both the elementary and high school levels and a role at
Liberation Public Schools, I clarified to participants how my background might impact the study.
Transparency is critical to enhancing credibility. Finally, the research aimed for a thick
description or a detailed account of my fieldwork experience and making sense of local practices
(Lochmiller & Lester, 2011, p. 97), providing a more in-depth understanding of the research
process and findings.
Ethics
The design of this study prioritized the safety and well-being of its participants
(Lochmiller & Lester, 2017). To ensure that ethical considerations were factored in from the
beginning, I disclosed my role as a consultant to LPS, where my work involves collecting
feedback from team members to inform policy and equity practices. I clarified that I had no
power to hire or fire teachers and that several organizational layers existed between us. I shared
how previous feedback has been used to make institutional changes and emphasized that their
feedback will be taken seriously. Furthermore, I informed participants that this research partially
fulfills my Doctor of Education degree requirements. The study followed the ethical principles of
the American Educational Research Association (AERA) to avoid harm and minimize negative
consequences (AERA Code of Ethics, 2011). I prioritized informed consent, anonymity, and
confidentiality of the participants and obtained their permission to record the interview. There

74
was a possibility that the interview process triggered unintended long-term consequences, and I
considered situational and cultural dimensions at each step. Fortunately, an ethical situation did
not arise. Participants were assured that their participation was voluntary and that they could
withdraw from the study at any time. The collected data was stored securely with an encrypted
password for five years and stripped of identifying information. Once completed, participants
will have access to the interview outcomes and feedback. I maintained a non-judgmental and
non-therapeutic approach and would have directed participants to appropriate resources if
necessary.
The Researcher—Role of the Researcher
In the wake of George Floyd's murder, I was deeply moved and motivated to act against
racism. After reading Booker T. Washington's, Up From Slavery (1901), I found solace in his
words amidst the devastating video footage of Floyd's death at the hands of police officer Derek
Chauvin. I was appalled by the inaction of the three other officers (J. et al.) who stood by and
watched as Floyd begged for his life while under government authority (CNN, 2020; Silva,
2022). As a Black woman studying racism, dimensions of identity, and oppression for over
twenty years, I have a deeply rooted positionality as an anti-racist practitioner. My master's
thesis, Black Identity & Its Differential Effects on African American Youth Development
(Lindsey, 2006), speaks to my personal and professional work intersecting with the topic of this
study.
Additionally, I co-authored a chapter in Facilitating Intergroup Dialogues: Bridging
Differences, Catalyzing Change with my undergraduate psychology professor, Dr. Jacklyn
Rodriguez, and three other students (Maxwell et al., 2011). I bring a deep commitment to radical
justice and social change, which undoubtedly means I bring assumptions and biases for anti-

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racism to this study. As a researcher, I recognize the importance of being transparent about my
background and potential biases and will take steps to mitigate any potential negative impacts on
the study's findings.
Conclusion
This study intends to gain insight into how teachers perceive their needs in translating
their anti-racist beliefs into actionable strategies in the classroom. The study is grounded in a
qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews to collect data from 12 teachers
across four schools in the LPS network to achieve this goal. The data gathered was analyzed and
coded based on the theoretical framework and research questions guiding the study. The study's
findings are presented in Chapter Four, while Chapter Five provides a comprehensive discussion
of the findings, their implications, and Recommendations for practice. The study aims to provide
valuable information to LPS administrators and educators to support developing and
implementing anti-racist policies and practices in schools. The research will also contribute to
the broader body of literature on anti-racist education, adding to our understanding of the
challenges and opportunities for promoting equity and inclusion in educational settings.

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Seated inside the heart of each and every one of us is a being, a self, a fire, a flame, a god.
-Dr. Barbara Ann Teer
Chapter Four: Findings
This chapter aims to present the outcomes of the 12 semi-structured teacher interviews, in
which data were carefully coded and analyzed to determine how knowledge, motivation, and
organizational influences impact the ability and willingness of charter-school teachers in a
charter-school network to adopt anti-racist teaching pedagogy. The study's conceptual
framework, as Clark and Estes (2008) outlined, guided the organization of the findings in this
chapter.
Four key research questions were formulated for this study to achieve the overall research
objectives. The first research question (RQ1) explored teachers' current knowledge,
understandings, and needs to practice anti-racism. The second research question (RQ2) sought to
identify how participants sought assistance when encountering or witnessing racism. The third
research question (RQ3) delved into the participants' motivation to adopt anti-racist practices in
their teaching approach. Finally, the fourth research question (RQ4) sought insights and feedback
from participants on how the organization could support its 600 teachers in adopting anti-racism
standards and policies.
Through data analysis, the study uncovered critical findings related to assumed
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. The data suggested a need for changes in
organizational influences to support teachers in adopting a comprehensive and nuanced
understanding of anti-racism. Specifically, teachers require explicit training and enhanced
procedural knowledge to create an anti-racist classroom using pedagogical moves that align with
the theory. Furthermore, the organization must integrate anti-racism learning, application, and

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evaluation tools to ensure teachers apply what they learn in their classrooms to achieve the
organizational goal of implementing and adopting Liberation Public Schools’ (LPS, a
pseudonym) anti-racist standards to combat racism confidently in their classrooms by 2025, as
outlined in Chapter Two. This chapter is structured into sections discussing participant insights,
followed by the findings related to each assumed KMO influence and the key themes that
emerged.
Participating Stakeholders
This section provides an overview of the 12 charter-school teachers who participated in
the study. The teachers who taught in lower (K-5) and upper schools (6-8) selected pseudonyms
to protect their anonymity. They were chosen as a representative sample of the nearly six-
hundred teachers at LPS, consisting of over twenty regional schools. Four schools were selected,
and three teachers were interviewed from each school to account for demographic and
geographical differences; six were interviewed from lower schools and six from upper
elementary schools. Table 5 summarizes the teachers' characteristics, including their school (a
pseudonym), teaching domain, and years of experience.
Table 5
Participants Profile

LOWER SCHOOLS (K-4th grade)
School: Marcus Garvey Elementary

Teacher
Years of Teaching Grade Level
1. Kinley Harris 4 4th

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2. Jazzy Maxwell 9 3rd
3. Pahley Ho 15 4th
School: Happy Elementary
Years of Teaching Grade Level
1. Jane Curry 4 4th
2. RC 12 K
3. Omar 6 3rd
UPPER SCHOOLS (5th-8th grade)
School: Caesar Chavez Middle School
Grade Level
Teacher
Years of Teaching Grade Level
1. Candice Smith 5 5th
2. Joan Baker 7 7th
3. Chepe 4 6th
School: Growth & Achievement Middle
Years of Teaching Grade Level
1. Patricia George 8 7th
2. Katheryn Rodriguez 5 7th
3. Guadalupe Vazquez 14 5th

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Knowledge Findings
The knowledge section of the study examines participants' understanding of anti-racism
as an ideology and system of thinking, acting, and being and the foundational knowledge base
teachers bring with them necessary to engage in anti-racist practices effectively. The research
question that guided the knowledge needs of teachers was, "What are teachers' perceived
knowledge needs to effectively address anti-racism in the classroom?" This section explores the
four knowledge influences based on Anderson and Krathwohl's (2001) taxonomy of knowledge
types: declarative, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. According to the data,
teachers demonstrated high metacognitive knowledge to reflect on their anti-racist teaching
practices. However, the participants had variations in declarative, conceptual, and procedural
knowledge. Improving knowledge in these three domains is essential for the organization to
achieve its goals.
Furthermore, two additional knowledge influences emerged in the study. The first is A
Posteriori knowledge, which refers to the knowledge gained from personal experiences. This
knowledge arises after some experiences and is derived from our personal experiences. The
second knowledge influence that emerged was priori knowledge, which is factual information
that remains true despite the absence of personal experience. Table 6 presents the four assumed
knowledge influences of the participants, along with the key findings from the interviews. In
contrast, Table 7 outlines the interview questions reflecting the assumed knowledge influence
and the corresponding research question.

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Table 6
Assumed Knowledge Influences

Knowledge
Type
Assumed Knowledge Influence Key Findings
Declarative Teachers Knowledge about the
impact of racism on students and
how to combat it and how to
address social, political, and
educational oppression.
Teachers present understanding of anti-racism in four categories:
● Removing bias/stereotyping
● Embracing a holistic view of each student
● Interrogating personal bias
● Taking an active stance against racism

Teachers still need declarative knowledge to
● Explain how racism impacts students' home life, learning environment, and
school experience and how that informs their teaching practices and choices
● Distinguish the differences amongst anti-racist education and culturally
relevant education
● Identify the ways anti-racism can improve student achievement
● See curriculum that outlines how teachers can incorporate anti-racism and
identifies anti-racist practices

Conceptual Teachers’ knowledge about anti-
racist theory where they get it from
and how it differs from other
approaches to diversity, equity,
inclusion, and belonging.
Teachers derive their conceptual knowledge about anti-racism from:
● Social media & conversations with peers
● Formal education & personal research

Teachers still need conceptual knowledge to:
● Identify, and discuss different principles underlying the anti-racism pedagogy
with special attention to the importance of structural and systems analysis
● Access to high-quality anti-racist literature, experts, and evidence-based
practices

Procedural

Teachers’ ability to implement
(prevention, intervention, and
restorative) anti-racist strategies
into their daily activities.
Teachers actively implement anti-racism by engaging in the following actions:
● Inclusive practices
● Disrupting & challenging racism through policy and practice

Teachers still need procedural knowledge to:
● See models and relevant examples of teachers practicing anti-racism in the
classroom.
● Develop a plan to implement anti-racism intentionally throughout the school
deliberately

Meta-
Cognitive

Teachers’ self-reflection on their
social position and effectiveness in
implementing anti-racist strategies,
tools, and procedures into their
daily classroom activities.
Teachers consistently think and reflect on:
• Their positionality
• Their pedagogy

Teachers still need metacognitive knowledge to:
• Have more structured and carved out time to reflect on their teaching
practice
• Reflect on strategies and tools to critique their teaching practices
• Find ways to measure and reflect on the impact of the anti-racist work

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Table 7
Interview Questions corresponding to research questions
Research Question: What are teachers’ perceived knowledge needs to address anti-racism
in the classroom?
Conceptual
Framework: K, M, O
Interview Question:
● What does being an anti-racist teacher mean to you?
● When you think about anti-racist practices in a classroom, what does this look like to you?
● What additional knowledge (formal or informal) do you need to incorporate anti-racist practices in
your classroom effectively?
● How do you learn about anti-racism to incorporate practices in your teaching pedagogy?
● What would better assist you in implementing anti-racist practices in their classrooms?
Knowledge

Knowledge Finding #1 (Declarative): Teachers Present Understanding of Anti-Racism in
Four Categories
This section comprehensively examines the initial assumed knowledge influence of
declarative knowledge. Participants were asked, "What does being an anti-racist teacher mean to
you?" to uncover the essential components of anti-racism from their unique perspectives. The
analysis yields important insights into teachers' current definition and understanding of anti-
racism, which can be categorized into four key findings representing their knowledge about anti-
racism: (1) Removing bias and stereotypes; (2) Embracing a holistic view of each student; (3)
Engaging in self-reflection to interrogate their biases; and (4) Taking an active stance against
anti-racism.

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Teachers' responses demonstrate an awareness of the need to eliminate biases and
stereotypes from their teaching practices to mitigate bias in the classroom. They recognize the
detrimental effects of these biases on students and strive to create an environment free from
prejudice and stereotypes. To underscore the importance of removing bias and checking for
stereotypes demonstrates how she does it; Pahley Ho shared, "An anti-racist teacher to me means
being aware of biases that you may have and the way that those biases are being reflected in your
practice." Similarly, upper-school teacher Joan Baker mentioned, "I think that being an anti-
racist teacher is to be someone who knows that they have biases but wants to recognize them and
try to improve on them." This self-awareness enables them to support their students better and
create an inclusive space. Guadalupe Vazquez, a 1st-grade teacher, echoed, "Being in this
position where I get an opportunity to understand my own biases and be it known or unknown,
[is an element of anti-racist teaching].
A critical component of preparing to be an anti-racist, liberatory teacher is being able to
renounce conscious or unconscious investments in White supremacy (Reinke et al., 2021). The
study reveals that seven teachers understand the importance of examining how they have
colluded with the system. Overall, the findings also show that teachers actively self-reflect to
examine and challenge their biases. They recognize the significance of interrogating their beliefs
and prejudices to create a classroom climate conducive and ripe for anti-racist practices.
Additionally, teachers also understand the importance of seeing the whole child and
recognizing each student's individual strengths, identities, and needs. They acknowledge that
addressing racism requires considering their students' diverse experiences and identities,
fostering inclusivity and equity in the learning environment. An upper-school teacher, Candice
Smith, shared:

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An anti-racist teacher is someone who looks at the whole child and not just the child in
the classroom, so understanding family dynamics, understanding the demographics of the
student, and understanding the needs beyond academics specifically.
However, Jazzy Maxwell, a lower-school teacher, emphasized that it is not only essential
to understand the concept of identity but also to understand her students individually, “I also
think it means to not hide behind my identity or thinking that just because I am [a person of
color], that is the key entry point to understanding who students are.” Chepe, a 6th-grade teacher,
also noted the importance of working with students’ identities to support them, stating:
Being an anti-racist teacher to me means being able to see beyond the way a student
identifies or being able to take that identification and being able to work with them and
support them in any way possible.
Twelve teachers acknowledged the importance of creating an inclusive and equitable learning
environment when asked to define anti-racism. It underscores their commitment to fostering an
atmosphere where all students feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. Recognizing
their students' individual needs ensures their "teaching can better match the home and
community cultures of students of color who have previously not had academic success in
schools" (Ladson-Billings, 2021, p. 16). These teachers clearly understand a core element of
anti-racism that overlaps other ideologies: multiculturalism, diversity, and cultural competency
(Reinke et al., 2021). In this case, teachers are taking their insights of their students, seeing the
'whole child' by acknowledging their ethnic, racial, and linguistic identities.
Anti-racism, as a theory, seeks to disrupt the "hegemony of whiteness in the educational
system" (Eddie, 2021, p. 3). In light of this, I wanted to see if any teacher would demonstrate
their understanding of this core component of anti-racism. The last finding exemplifies that

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teachers understand anti-racism as an activist approach; for example, Patricia George, a 7th-
grade teacher, shared her understanding:
Being an anti-racist teacher means that students are represented in what I teach. It means
students are represented in what I teach um their culture is not something that's like you
know celebrated once a month once a year whatever the holiday maybe it's like
embedded in, so it doesn't necessarily have to feel like it's a big once a year celebration.
According to Patricia, she embeds anti-racist teaching into her daily teaching practices so that
her practice moves beyond tokenism or cultural holidays. This way, students are affirmed year-
long through the curriculum. Her emphasis on students being affirmed in what she teaches is the
critical differentiator from others who recognize the whole child but have yet to learn to
incorporate their learnings and leverage it in the core curriculum.
The study found that five teachers acknowledged that anti-racism was an activist
approach. Pauley Ho, a lower-school teacher, said plainly, “An anti-racist teacher is actually
teaching children what racism looks and sounds like in the community so that they can have the
courage to stand up and take action so we can bring about better change in our society.”
Likewise, 7th grade teacher Katheryn Rodriguez emphasized:
Being an anti-racist teacher means taking an active stance against racism. I think of being
an anti-racist teacher to extend even beyond racism specifically to thinking about all
communities that are marginalized and using curriculum or using the classroom as an
opportunity to think critically and dissect the systems of our society.
At its core, anti-racism empowers children to take an active stance against racism and
intersectional identities. Taking a stance against racism also looks like teachers actively working

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to ensure their students of color can access what they need to thrive. Kinley Harris shared how
she uses anti-racism to:
actively and intentionally work to meet the needs of black students specifically and in a
school or in an environment in general where most times they are undermined in the
world so like just being able to provide them what they need based on their individual
data and progress growth without any of my own biases interfering.
Kinley's response emphasized the value of using data to support student learning and growth.
Overall, teachers with this level of understanding of anti-racism highlighted the
importance of teachers taking a stance against racism and promoting anti-racism in the classroom
through curricular decisions and teaching. These teachers recognize the importance of addressing
and combating racist attitudes, behaviors, and structures in school systems and communities. By
taking a formidable stance against racism, these five teachers aimed to create an environment in
which all students can develop the skills to name and challenge racism when they experience it
or see it. For example, Omar, a lower-school teacher, shared:
In the classroom [anti-racism means] dismantling white supremacy, reviewing my own
practices that I have in the classroom and also old school practices…to create a better
environment for students, staff members, and for the community I serve…I also think it's
not conforming to certain practices that we do within schools.
Omar’s focus on scrutinizing his practices is critical and demonstrates his resolute commitment
to anti-racism. His work explicitly targets the essential element of anti-racism: disrupting
structures. Another way to disrupt structures is by teaching children to understand the historical
context. Joan Baker demonstrated this when she shared:

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Anti-racism, it's taking an active stance and trying to both teach the historical context of
the world we live in today and why there are inequitable systems in place but also trying
to encourage activism and equality today in the end and also it extends towards the
future.
Here the teachers show the importance of taking a stance against racism by examining structures,
learning the history, and empowering students to be change agents.
Declarative Knowledge Summary
Based on the data collected, it was found that over two-thirds of the study, participants
shared a similar definition of anti-racism, which focused more on cultural competence and
valuing diversity, and understanding the role of the identity approach. However, there is a
distinction between cultural competency, valuing difference approach, and anti-racism, and
teachers who do not have a comprehensive understanding of these terms and the specific details
and elements of anti-racism will fall short of their goals of developing a solid anti-racist teaching
pedagogy. While extremely important, this approach does not explicitly address the role of the
dominant culture, power dynamics, systems analysis, or the entitlement of the dominant group,
which is at the core of what it means to be anti-racist. While some responses demonstrated that
teachers have shades of understanding of this knowledge influence, it was surprising that only
one of the participants explicitly mentioned how anti-racism is a theory of action that focuses on
the political aspects of racism and institutional oppression since that is another fundamental
component of the definition of anti-racism.
Since more than half of the teachers in the study did not mention these core ideas, it
suggests that teachers need a more nuanced understanding of anti-racism with a specific focus on
activism, advocacy, and using the curriculum to develop students' understanding of power and

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structural and systemic change to incorporate it into their teaching pedagogy effectively. While
participants did not explicitly discuss how racism affects children and student learning outcomes,
they emphasized eliminating bias and seeing the whole child in their practice. More continued
training on these elements, distinguishing the differences between anti-racist education and
culturally relevant education, identifying how anti-racism can improve student achievement, and
intersectionality are needed to support teachers. A solid understanding of the core components of
anti-racism and how it departs from other ideologies is essential to embody anti-racism as a
pedagogical practice fully.
Knowledge Findings #2 (Conceptual): Teachers Derive Their Conceptual Knowledge
About Anti-Racism from Various Sources
The second influence of assumed knowledge was conceptual knowledge, encompassing
the essential principles and foundational ideas that shape a specific field of knowledge.
Conceptual knowledge further incorporates the diverse methods through which individuals
acquire knowledge within a particular domain and their comprehension of the relationships and
principles that emerge from this knowledge. To explore teachers' conceptual knowledge, I posed
the following interview question: "How do you acquire knowledge about anti-racism and
incorporate it into your teaching pedagogy?" This question aimed to gain insight into the
sources from which teachers understand anti-racism. By exploring their sources of knowledge,
the study sought to understand the basis of their conceptual understanding of anti-racism. The
study found that many teachers relied on various sources to learn about anti-racism and
incorporate it into their pedagogy. The key findings were that teachers relied heavily on 1) Social
media and conversations with peers and 2) Formal education and personal research.

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Social Media and Conversations with Peers
Social media and peer conversations were top-rated responses for participants to acquire
anti-racism knowledge. Those who identified social media as their source of knowledge
gathering shared how they follow educators on social media (Instagram & TikTok) who post
content related to anti-racism. Omar said they:
[Try] to collaborate with certain teachers at my school site that I know are doing exactly
that or like are attempting to do it. I also think a big part has been like social media and
following certain educator accounts that are not only giving their input as educators of
color but also bring in certain research studies.
RC said something similar:
A part of it is like informally I just make sure I try to have conversations with other
colleagues of mine even if they're not still within [the region] or at the school. I know that
I spend too much time on social media, so I also try to engage with content creators who
look like me [and] and push and try to teach anti-racist education.
Joan Baker further discussed the importance of peers in acquiring knowledge about anti-racism,
stating: "I am fortunate because a lot of my coworkers are willing to talk with me, and those are
really my go-to people, the people in my everyday life that I can ask about what I need to be
looking for. Jazzy Maxwell noted that they engaged in "deep like conversations" with fellow
educators, who shared their experiences and knowledge about anti-racism. Jane Curry, a lower-
school teacher, also indicated that they learn about anti-racism primarily [through] conversations
with peers. Curry shared, “I read, but then also like a lot of social media stuff like the kind of
information that I am consuming outside of work… it is just kind of like it gets brought up. Then
that sparks the thought and then a conversation organically.” The responses indicate that social

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media and communication with colleagues play a critical role in helping them learn the concepts
related to anti-racism.
Formal Education and Personal Research
Participants also shared that their formal education significantly impacted their
understanding of anti-racism. This included but was not limited to, their undergraduate academic
studies, workshops, and training programs that address racism, social justice, and equity.
Through these educational programs, teachers could learn about theoretical frameworks, insights,
and critical understandings of what it means to be anti-racist. Candice Smith shared: "One way
that I have learned about anti-racism was through Teach for America when I was in the South."
Whereas Chepe stated: "I did minor in Chicano studies, so prior to that, due to the knowledge
that I have learned due to those courses, it has already given me somewhat of an advantage."
Patricia George followed by highlighting:
I guess [I learn about anti-racism] based on my experiences in school the different things
that I did not like about how I was treated, especially based on me being Black. That and
a lot of research that I did in college on culturally responsive pedagogy and teaching.
Katheryn Rodriquez spoke about how their minor in civic engagement at UCLA informed their
conceptual knowledge:
On a personal level I am always trying to increase my own knowledge and reading on
this topic because I went to UCLA. I majored in English and minored in civic
engagement, so I have a personal passion about social justice and using the classroom.
It was also noted that stand-alone books and articles were occasionally used to
supplement the teachers' knowledge. As Pahley Ho commented, "For me, in order to learn

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something, I go through some sort of resource, whether I pull it from a book, [on how to stop]
racism." Additionally, Kinley Harris explained:
I have read some articles that we have a lot of meetings at work in general incorporated
into it just like a space for us dedicated to digging into anti-racism and being fully
committed to being an anti-racist school.
The findings suggest that the four teachers who had exposure to anti-racism formally through
education, classes, and courses could provide more comprehensive answers to the interview
questions, giving them an advantage in discussing the intricacies and dynamics of anti-racism.
On the other hand, the remaining teachers relied on their internal drive and curiosity to help them
to enhance their understanding by seeking resources on social media. It is important to note that
teachers with formal education also utilized social media; however, a comprehensive
understanding of anti-racism enabled them to effectively incorporate that knowledge from social
media in a manner that aligned with the theory and practices of anti-racism practices fully.
Conceptual Knowledge Summary
Teachers acquire and expand their knowledge about anti-racism through two primary
means: 1) Social Media and Informal Conversations with Peers; and 2) Formal Education and
Personal Research. Teachers are expanding their understanding of anti-racism by combining
their formal education and informal education (conversations with peers, personal research).
They are also learning about different principles and elements of anti-racism to address racism in
their classroom effectively. I expected more teachers to say they get most of their knowledge
from formal professional development sessions since LPS has made a concerted effort to provide
its Team Members with training. However, only Kinley Harris, a lower-school teacher, explicitly

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shared: “We have a lot of meetings at work in general that incorporate [anti-racism] into it just
like a space for us dedicated to digging into anti-racism.”
While each school represented in the study may offer valuable education on anti-racism,
it is crucial to acknowledge that additional measures can be taken to empower teachers in their
professional roles, reducing their dependence on social media and informal discussions with
peers. These responses suggest that teachers must increase their understanding of anti-racism and
incorporate it into their pedagogy. However, there is still a need for more explicit education on
the principles and knowledge of anti-racist theory and how it differs from other approaches to
diversity, equity, and inclusion, with an emphasis on structural and systems analysis. Teachers
also need access to high-quality anti-racist literature, experts, and evidence-based practices to
strengthen their understanding of the core principles and root their practice in theory.
Knowledge Findings #3 (Procedural): Teachers Actively Implement Anti-Racism by
Engaging in Key Actions
Procedural knowledge is the third influential aspect of assumed knowledge, which
pertains to teachers' capacity to effectively incorporate anti-racist strategies—such as prevention,
intervention, and restorative practices—into their daily activities. In order to assess their
procedural knowledge, teachers were asked the following interview question: “When you think
about anti-racist practices in a classroom, what does this look like to you?” Although the
participants' responses to the question of implementing anti-racist strategies were varied, two key
themes emerged, 1) Inclusive Practices and 2) Disrupting and Challenging Racism Through
Policy and Practice.

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Inclusive Practices
Teachers shared myriad practices that promote inclusion and foster a sense of belonging
in the classroom. These are a set of intentional practices to create learning environments that
foster trust and safety for the students. The practices include Universal Design for Learning
(UDL), engaging families, culturally responsive teaching, representative curriculum, and positive
behavior support. These practices aim to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds feel
welcome and included in the classroom. These practices create equitable opportunities for
students to learn and participate in the classroom culture. Jazzy highlighted how they focus on
inclusion:
When I say that I mean like having books that represent the students that are in the
classroom having a curriculum that meets the kids where they are...In a school, anti-
racism starts with providing the right curriculum, providing access to books and …being
very inclusive with everybody that is in the school. Yeah, we celebrate Black History
Month annually but are we actually celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander week
with fidelity? Are we celebrating Hispanic heritage month with fidelity? Are we actually
like going hard for all kids?
Jazzy highlights the importance of considering how all students should be seen in the curriculum.
Lifting Asian and Pacific Islander students' stories is important because they are often ignored or
overlooked. Inclusive teaching involves expanding students' understanding of different people,
cultures, and stories outside their cultural and ethnic identities. This is a sure way to promote
inclusion. RC commented on the importance of inclusion through the use of Universal Design:
One approach [has a] whole rubric [with] the pieces and components that drive towards
[equity and anti-racism]. I don't know if it's unclassified under anti-racism or something

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more like Universal Design.” Also, “recognizing who my students are, understanding
their stories, their family values, acknowledging who I am and how that may affect how I
show up as an educator.
While Universal Design does not explicitly incorporate anti-racism, it can be used as a pedagogy
to maximize student learning.
Omar, on the other hand, shared how they center marginalized voices:
I think just incorporating voices not only from student voices but also from family
members. I [also realized] I was just doing a lot of the controlling I feel like in the
environment, but I think now it's definitely more of a facilitation bringing in that joy
knowing that like learning in order for learning to happen students have to feel safe.
Traditionally, Black and Brown students are controlled and policed in the classroom
disproportionately; in this instance, Omar is speaking on the importance of releasing control and
ensuring students have more agency and freedom in the classroom. Omar also speaks to the need
to incorporate the stories from family members to enhance cultural connection, relationship
building, and multi-generational learning.
The teachers painted a beautiful picture of the inclusive strategies they use in their
classrooms, Candice Smith noted:
When you walk into a classroom, and you want it to look anti-racist I think that means
access to materials online that can support a student when they're participating in a
written document so that may mean reading aloud that may mean having a section in
your classroom for small groups to pull out for our English language learners. That may
also look like a Zen zone to give students time to take a brain break.

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By implementing inclusive practices, teachers aimed to create an empowering learning
environment that created equitable opportunities for students to achieve and be their whole
selves. Most teachers in the study also shared how relationship-building and creating a
psychologically safe environment were important preventative tactics for creating anti-racist
classrooms.
Disrupting and Challenging Racism Through Policy and Practice
The second theme that emerged when I asked teachers, "What does an anti-racist
classroom look like?" was disrupting and challenging racism through policy and practice. Policy-
level initiatives involve intentional efforts to dismantle systemic racism in the classroom. It
encompasses various teaching moves to address discriminatory practices, question policies, and
outdated practices perpetuating inequality and disadvantage. The research data highlight how
one-third of the teachers in the study are actively disrupting and challenging racism through
questioning policies, rethinking policies, and creating practices to create more equitable learning
environments so that students can have equal access to opportunities, regardless of their social
identity or ethnic background. Guadalupe Vazquez, a lower-school teacher, said they think
about:
The predisposed ways that we have, especially in education, lead us to believe that
students or even adults are supposed to act, or how they're supposed to behave, or even
how children or individuals learn best.
Guadalupe exhibits the power of interrogating traditional thinking about how schools and
teachers approach discipline policies, classroom procedures, and systems that require students to
act and behave in specific ways, reminiscent of what Omar said earlier about interrogating
teaching practices. Likewise, Jane Curry added:

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Anti-racism to me it looks like thinking through the way you interact with kids and the
different policies that you have and thinking whether or not that serves a purpose like
asking yourself why you have that policy or why you're interacting in that way it means
um catching yourself in instances where you might be showing bias and then correcting
it.
Jane demonstrated the importance of asking how a particular policy may or may not serve the
children and families. It calls for teaching, asking critical questions like, what value does this
policy add or take away from my students? Jane also highlighted how bias is often embedded in
the policies teachers create. By stopping and thinking critically about the policies and practices,
teachers can counter outdated practices perpetuating racist outcomes. Chepe, an upper-school
teacher, illustrated how they disrupt and challenge racism. Chepe commented:
When I hear students say any type of racial slur [I stop it right there] to address the whole
class. I [share] why it's not appropriate to say that within the parameters of what we're in,
so that students have the idea of being able to respect each other.
Here, Chepe illustrates how disrupting racism in real time is incredibly important. It levels the
space while reinforcing the values and norms of the classroom community.
Another notable demonstration of teachers' ability to disrupt racism was through the use
of strategic teaching moves. Katheryn Rodriguez, for instance, challenges racism through
deliberate and purposeful pedagogical teaching moves. Katheryn noted:
When I teach my curriculum I want to approach every text from the perspective of
thinking about whose voices are being represented in the text also whose voices are not
being represented looking deeply at the historical context of the time period in which the
text was written and also asking students again kind of going back to what I had said

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about what anti-racism is asking students to think about how this applies to the world we
live in today.
When I asked for an example of how they help students deepen their understanding and develop
an analytical lens, the following response was given:
Currently we're reading the play a Raisin in the sun by Lorraine Hansberry’s beautiful
text and so in our reading of the text we started first by looking at post war America the
1950s specifically in Chicago and um the neighborhood looking at the history of the
neighborhood of the black belt of Chicago which was a historically black neighborhood
and talking about racially restrictive covenants and redlining that occurred and how those
things come into play in the text and explain why the family in our in our story the
younger family why they feel so frustrated about their current situation and then we took
that context and then applied it to Los Angeles.
Katheryn's use of anti-racist teaching practices to disrupt and challenge racism on various levels
is an advanced level of anti-racism, what it can, and should look like in the classroom. Other
teachers who regarded anti-racism as a method to interrupt racism through policy and practice
utilized strategies drawn from restorative justice practices, anti-bias education, and pedagogical
approaches to practice anti-racism actively. To engage students' critical thinking and critical
consciousness and facilitate difficult conversations. These strategies all aimed to address
discriminatory practices, challenge bias, address systemic inequalities, and policies and biases
perpetuating inequality across racial and ethnic groups and other indicators.
Procedural Knowledge Summary
Procedural knowledge for anti-racism refers to a practice of specific skills, strategies, and
teaching moves to operationalize an anti-racism practice actively. Procedural knowledge

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involves implementing practices that translate anti-racist theory into action. This section sought
to understand how LPS teachers apply anti-racist strategies in their teaching practice. As
demonstrated in the data, creating a safe, inclusive, and culturally affirming classroom
environment was a common strategy used by teachers. This was evident in the responses of the
interview participants, who stressed the importance of allowing children to be themselves. As
Jazzy Maxwell put it, "I want my students to offer suggestions, smiling, laughing creating
moments of joy where they can just literally be 6-7 eight years old." It is worth noting that
cultivating joy is an act of resistance to White supremacy and is consistent with the
organizational goal of creating "joyful schools" (LPS Public Schools, 2021).
The lower-school teachers, in particular, emphasized strategies to cultivate joy and
inclusive strategy. In contrast, middle-school teachers focused mainly on developing students'
critical consciousness and strategies to disrupt and challenge racism. Katheryn Rodriquez, the
upper-school teacher, underscored this point by explaining, "I want [my students] to be
researchers and scholars and challenge the norms we see today in society and in, I am sure, for
themselves and their communities and imagine a better future for themselves and their
communities." The explanation provided by this middle-school teacher exemplifies a powerful
anti-racist teaching approach. Through this approach, students can grasp the grade-level content
knowledge and develop a deep conceptual understanding of how societal structures directly
influence and impact the characters portrayed in the selected texts. Moreover, the teacher
facilitates students' ability to transfer this acquired knowledge to critically analyze how these
issues reverberate in their own lives and affect others. Lower- and upper-school teachers
emphasized the need to partner with families, a critical component of the anti-racist teaching
pedagogy, reflecting the first key finding of inclusive practices.

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The data show that while teachers utilize various anti-racist strategies, they still lack a
comprehensive procedural knowledge plan to understand and implement them fully. In
interviews, many participants expressed a desire for resources and guidance on what anti-racist
practices look like. One teacher stated, "What would help is having some kind of resource, any
kind of research or any direction," while another emphasized the need for "Modeling for sure."
The lack of procedural knowledge impedes their ability to implement their beliefs. However, all
interview participants expressed a willingness to learn and improve their anti-racist practice, with
one participant suggesting the value of having an expert lead professional development training.
Knowledge Findings #4 (Metacognitive): Teachers Consistently Think and Reflect on Their
Positionality and Their Pedagogy
The fourth assumed knowledge influence is metacognitive. In anti-racism, metacognition
highlights the importance of promoting students' and teachers' metacognitive awareness and
reflection on their anti-racist practice. All the questions in section one of the interview allowed
me to examine teachers' metacognitive processes
1. What does being an anti-racist teacher mean to you?
2. When you think about anti-racist practices in a classroom, what does this look like to
you?
3. What additional knowledge (formal or informal) do you need to incorporate anti-racist
practices in your classroom effectively?
4. How do you learn about anti-racism to incorporate practices in your teaching pedagogy?
5. What would better assist you in implementing anti-racist practices in their classrooms?

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The notable findings that emerged from the research were that teachers are consistently
reflecting on two areas in their teaching practice: 1). Positionality and Praxis, and 2).
Teaching Pedagogy.
Positionality
When teachers reflect on their positionality and personal identity, they investigate how
their background, identity markers, and personal experiences influence their presence and actions
within the classroom. Through this critical examination of positionality, teachers strive to
develop an awareness of how their dispositions and biases can and will impact student learning
outcomes and overall classroom experience. Teachers who engage in deep reflective practice of
their identity recognize the power they have in the classroom. Teachers emphasized the
importance of reflection on their positionality throughout the interview process. Positionality is
shaped by teachers’ race, class, gender, and other identity factors that shape and influence their
perspective and understanding of the world. Positionality shapes teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviors related to anti-racism. Upon engaging in meaningful metacognitive practices, teachers
can become acutely aware of their implicit and explicit bias, privilege, and blind spots and how
they influence student interactions, curriculum choice, and classroom culture. Kinley Harris
stated:
I definitely grew up in a certain way that is different from all of my students and so just
being able to [reflect on that] and see them for who they are, and where they come from
and use that to help guide my instruction as an anti-racist teacher. Kinley adds:
Learning from [my students] as a teacher as well but [also being able to] put my own
biases aside …and digging deep just to figure out how to help my kids figure out how to
in general really exist in the world.

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When asked about some key elements of an anti-racist teacher, Jazzy, a lower-school
teacher, shared, “It is like reflection, like self-reflection.” Upon further discussion, it was clear
that Jazzy Maxwell was referring to the importance of praxis, a term coined by Paulo Freire that
refers to the ability to reflect and act on one's practice (Freire, 1970). Praxis emphasizes the
relationship between knowledge and action. The anti-racist educator engages in praxis through
intentional action paired with deep, careful reflection. Jazzy underscored the point with an
example of students who display challenging behaviors:
[Part of being anti-racist] is [thinking about how] I bring myself forward in the teaching
that I do in my practice. For example, how I like to deal with behavior and challenges
that come up. it makes me [stop and] think about my belief in that student’s ability.
Here, Jazzy recognizes the importance of belief in inspiring students to perform better. In this
example, Jazzy interrogates the belief to assess how they may impact the student’s behavior.
Another teacher, Omar, demonstrated the importance of critically examining their identity and
the impact it has on how they show up in the classroom, sharing:
More than anything, I think as an educator, I've had drastic changes and like my beliefs
and what I believe is right …my identity as a queer like nonbinary educator also just like
my identities as like personnel who I am and just like bringing my authentic self [into the
classroom].
In a similarly fashion, RC, shared:
Well as growing in my own self-awareness of how I as a white person, mixed race and
white person contribute or have benefited from systems of oppression…so there's like
self-work and making sure I understand and know like my environment and then how
that then translates into the classroom.

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The data indicate that all the teachers were aware of self-reflections crucial role in promoting
anti-racism in their classrooms. They recognized that cultivating a deep understanding of their
social position is essential for effective classroom leadership, meaningful learning experiences,
and impactful instruction.
Teaching Pedagogy
Teaching pedagogy is a set of practices incorporating teaching methodologies and
strategies to facilitate practical and thoughtful learning. A strong and efficient teaching pedagogy
encompasses theories and practices that guide instructional decision-making and classroom
interactions. Teachers' teaching pedagogy informs how they design lessons, engage students, and
create a nurturing environment for students to learn and share who they are. Reflecting on one’s
teaching pedagogy is a practice that enables teachers to adjust, correct misconceptions and
missteps, and refine their teaching practice to enhance student engagement and experience. In the
context of anti-racism, teaching pedagogy refers to the practices that promote anti-racist
principles, attitudes, and actions within the classroom. When teachers reflect on their teaching
pedagogy by examining their perspectives, the content, and discussions on the curriculum, they
enhance their ability to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for their students.
Below is a list of comments that share how teachers at LPS are reflecting on their teaching
pedagogy.
Jazzy Maxwell demonstrates how reflecting on student behavior informs their teaching
practice, “um being able to and listening to my students [by] listening to their needs, [and]
paying attention to what their behaviors may be possibly demonstrating.” By reflecting on
student behavior and questioning what it means, Jazzy can design lessons that are culturally
responsive to validate student identity and experiences or reevaluate the learning gaps to identify

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how the teaching practice and strategies can closely align with the needs of students based on
their ability, learning styles, and needs. In a moment of vulnerability, Jazzy shared:
I don't think I was truly doing the work of being like an anti-racist educator, like in some
of the things that I may have said to my students or maybe you know like I did or my way
of being. Understanding how I'm showing up on a daily basis and reflecting on my
[teaching practice] or like reading (short readings) or anything like that like I think that
that really helps me better understand how I'm showing up.
Sometimes, a teacher must contemplate if those actions and attitudes have served their students.
In this instance, Jazzy realizes that the teacher’s attitude, way of being, and actions constitute
their teaching pedagogy. To that end, Jazzy recognized that there were times when their attitude
and teaching practice did not serve the students, and it probably hindered creating an anti-racist
classroom in the past. Another element of teaching pedagogy is classroom behavior and
management systems. When I asked RC about what anti-racism in the classroom looks like or
means, RC explained:
It means using, you know, behavior management systems or classroom culture systems
that celebrate positive, support of reteaching, and learning [through things like more]
practice. It means that I take more time studying the curriculum, comparing it with other
curricula ensuring that there's representation of people of diverse races or you know
many races in my classroom and what I show visually to my students.
RC recognized something that many teachers overlook. Classroom management systems
reinforce beliefs teachers have about students. RC has intentionally reflected on its practice and
realized that the systems created must create a “positive” and “supportive” learning
environment. Empowerment is a teaching strategy that is reflective of anti-bias education. It

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promotes empathy, compassion, and advocacy for marginalized students and students on the
edges. When I asked Guadalupe about anti-racist teaching practices, they shared that anti-racist
practices are those where the curriculum reflects:
the realities of the world around us, that are going to impact our students' ability to be
individuals out there in the real world. right, like the educational practices, the access to
learning and how they're going to apply it, but it's connected to their real world in which
they live.
For a teacher to ensure the curriculum reflects the reality of the students, the teacher must
foster a critical consciousness first within themselves and then within the students by
encouraging them to question the norms, systems, and biases through critical thinking and
inquiry. Guadalupe highlighted important learning processes that are reflected in a teaching
pedagogy that is thoughtful and reflective. It is also the bedrock of an anti-bias and anti-racist
education. Finally, Patricia George shared:
I [know] that anywhere I go, I can be anti-racist, but I have to be very clear and aware of
the actual students that I'm working with based on who I'm teaching- I need to build
relationships to see what these students need. [For example,] do they need more
education on race?
As Patricia George reflects on her student's needs, it enables them to design curricula and
learning experiences that foster and facilitate students' understanding of racism and
intersectionality. Intersectionality acknowledges that individuals hold multiple identities that
often intersect and shape how they experience privilege and oppression. By incorporating these
ideals in the curriculum, Patricia's teaching moves are responsive to the needs of students based

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on the reflection and awareness of how a more empowered learning environment can be created
that promotes critical awareness, empathy, and a deeper understanding of social injustice.
Metacognitive Summary
The data highlighted a trend among participants as they reflected carefully and
thoughtfully on their social identity (positionality) and teaching practices. The significance of
reflection in the anti-racist teacher’s toolbox cannot be underestimated. Metacognition is a tool to
promote inclusion, anti-racism, and student learning and growth. Through metacognitive
practices, the teachers in this study shared how they identified weaknesses in their knowledge
and practice. It is evident from the interviews that the participants reflected on their current
teaching practices and monitored their thinking, with one participant emphasizing the importance
of reflecting on their identity and positionality when entering the classroom. By doing so,
teachers at LPS create learning environments that promote critical consciousness and empathy
and acknowledge that there is room for improvement and feedback. When teachers employ
reflective practices, they create transformative learning environments where students can
develop critical action skills and commit to dismantling racism.
Knowledge Summary
The research question guiding this section was: "What are the perceived knowledge
needs of teachers to effectively address anti-racism in the classroom?" Through examining
various knowledge domains, I gained insights into teachers' knowledge needs from their
perspectives. The teachers consistently expressed the need for further development of these
knowledge domains to improve their practice. While some teachers demonstrated strengths in
certain areas, there were instances where they acknowledged equal levels of weakness compared
to others.

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Motivation Findings
The motivation section of the study delved into the participants' motivation to sustain
their commitment to anti-racism in the classroom, focusing on two motivational influences: self-
efficacy and goal setting, which are informed by teacher efficacy. According to Rueda (2011),
goal-motivational beliefs are context-specific and include a solid commitment to goals,
persistence with plans and goals even when distracted, monitoring goal value and confidence,
and investing necessary mental effort in plans. When examining the self-efficacy domain, several
key themes emerged that influence teachers' motivation to carry out organizational anti-racism
initiatives: Teaching Experience and Educational Background. When asked what makes teachers
feel less confident about implementing anti-racism, the recurring themes surfaced: 1) Lack of
Faith in Leadership and 2) Lack of Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge.
When examining the goal-setting domain, two trends emerged for factors that shape teachers’
ability to set and achieve their anti-racist goals: Their ability to create personalized goals and
monitoring and evaluation. Table 8 presents the two assumed motivational influences of the
participants, along with the key findings from the interviews. In contrast, Table 9 outlines the
interview questions reflecting the assumed motivation influence and the corresponding research
question.

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Table 8
Assumed Motivation Influences
Motivation Construct Assumed Motivation Influence Key Findings
Self-Efficacy Teachers' confidence to implement
anti-racist pedagogical tools and
strategies to support retention in
their daily management activities.
1.) These factors play a crucial role in informing teachers'
confidence levels when it comes to promoting anti-racism
in the classroom:
• Teaching Experience
• Educational Background

2.) These factors play a crucial role in inhibiting teachers'
confidence when it comes to promoting anti-racism in the
classroom.
• Lack of Faith in Leadership
• Lack of Procedural & Conceptual Knowledge
Goal setting Teachers set goals for achieving an
anti-racist classroom environment
so students can feel safe and
academically thrive.
These factors shape teachers' process to confidently set
goals and practicing anti-racism in their classroom. Their
ability to:
• Create Personalized Goals
• Monitoring and Evaluation

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Table 9
Interview Questions corresponding to research questions

Research Question: What are teachers’ motivations to adopt organization-
wide change goals?
Conceptual Framework: K, M, O
Interview Questions:
● What makes you more or less confident?
● What is your process for creating an anti-racist environment and anti-racist
experiences in your classroom?
Motivation

Motivation Finding #1 (Self-Efficacy): Teaching Experience and Educational Background
Play a Key Role
The study aimed to identify factors that influence the commitment of LPS teachers to
anti-racism in the classroom. One of the assumed motivational influences examined is self-
efficacy, which refers to participants' perceived confidence in achieving the organizational goal
of becoming anti-racist. As Rueda (2011) defined it, self-efficacy is "people's judgments of their
capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to attain designated levels of
performances" (p. 39). Teacher efficacy theory was used to establish this assumed influence,
specifically focused on how teachers view themselves as capable of positive change (Lazarides
& Warner, 2020).
This section provides a comprehensive examination of the first assumed motivation
influence. Participants were asked, “How confident are you in your ability to adopt organization-
wide goals or anti-racist tools?” to surface the contributing factors that aided their confidence
around being an effective anti-racist practitioner. The analysis suggests essential insights into

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what makes LPS teachers in the study confident. Their insights can be organized into two key
findings, (1) Teaching Experience and (2) Educational Background. Since efficacy is domain-
specific, the study asked participants what makes them more or less confident in adopting
organization-wide anti-racist goals and tools. The factors that crucial role in inhibiting teachers'
confidence in promoting anti-racism in the classroom were categorized under 1) Lack of Vision
and Leadership and 2) Lack of Procedural & Conceptual Knowledge.
Contributing Factor 1: Teaching Experience
The first contributing factor to teachers' confidence is teaching experience. Teaching is a
complex and multifaceted profession that requires a diverse set of skills and competencies. A
teacher's classroom experience and academic background are instrumental in preparing them to
become effective practitioners of anti-racism. Essential skills for teachers encompass content
knowledge, pedagogical expertise, relationship building, classroom management, assessment,
differentiated instruction, curriculum development, and planning. Mastery of these skills is
crucial for teachers to excel in their profession. As teachers fulfill multiple roles and
responsibilities, they naturally develop competence in these areas over time. With an expanding
repertoire of competencies, their confidence as educators grows.
However, in addition to the fundamental skills required for teaching, there are specific
practices teachers must acquire to incorporate anti-racism into their teaching practice effectively.
By solidifying their teaching practice, teachers develop a solid foundation to embrace and
integrate anti-racist principles into their pedagogy effortlessly and confidently. Pahley Ho, when
asked about her confidence in adopting the anti-racism policy and standards, shared:

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I'm at four to five. I feel very confident. I think I have a lot of experience in this
profession to kind of see all of the different modalities going on. I say four to five based
on my experience.
Similarly, Jane Curry emphasized her years of experience and her commitment to maintaining a
reflective teaching practice:
I feel confident because I think that it's something that has been important to me for a
long time- meaning I feel like I've had enough years reflecting and thinking about it to
feel like I at least know generally what I'm doing.
Candice Smith, highlighted another element of teaching experience, underscoring her ability to
establish meaningful connecting with families:
I feel pretty confident…I think with my communication with families I pride myself on
communicating with all families inside my classroom within the first three weeks of the
school year and I just have this open-door policy.
Finally, Jazzy Maxwell, re-emphasized the number of years as a contributing factor to her
confidence, stating:
Umm this is like this is actually the start of my 9th year in education. [This year I am]
thinking more [about the ways I am] showing up for my students. I remember myself as a
first year, and second-year teacher [and] I was just like literally trying to survive.
In summary, experience and continuous growth as an educator help to strengthen teachers'
teaching practice. The data suggest that teachers' commitment to anti-racism (in addition to their
growing confidence in managing and leading a classroom) empowers teachers to adopt anti-
racist practices in their classrooms confidently.

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Contributing Factor 2: Educational Background
In addition to the number of years of teaching, teachers who participated in
undergraduate or graduate programs that prepared them to interrogate social systems also
reported higher confidence levels about implementing anti-racist tools. Educational programs
that promote anti-racism and anti-bias thinking prepare teachers to grapple with their ways of
knowing and understanding by exploring a matter's historical and social contexts with an anti-
racist lens. This empowers teachers to employ these teaching practices in their classrooms with
students. Teachers with an educational background in social justice are exposed to various
pedagogical approaches that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. They also learn to center
marginalized voices. Another benefit of having an educational background is that teachers have
significant experience with self-reflection and unlearning anti-bias and anti-oppression. Teachers
who have been exposed to how their biases impact those in their sphere of influence are more
comfortable with doing the work of anti-racism. For example, Katheryn shared that she was
confident because:
I think first and foremost, being part of my study of civic engagement, we talked about
the concept of praxis and practice [which] requires constant reflection and refinement/
So I can't say that I'm a perfect anti-racist educator that would be foolish and arrogant of
me to say but what I can say is that I am constantly seeking to improve and to keep
updated on what the latest research is saying what is keep [being] well read on these
topics and constantly push myself to think through my own biases and how they come up
in the classroom sometimes even biases.
Chepe, an upper-school teacher, shared similar sentiments about what shapes the
confidence expressed: "I feel pretty confident because I am tying it back to the courses that I

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took in college.” Teachers in the study who have had significant academic exposure to the
concepts and principles of anti-racism exhibited higher levels of confidence. Katheryn Rodriguez
explained how their experience allowed them to gain confidence in their ability to create an anti-
racist classroom, "I have been doing it for a while, and so I have a lot of experience in creating a
classroom that is welcoming to all students." Candice, in particular, highlighted the importance
of educational background: "I have a master's in multicultural education, so that kind of helped
me to have that foundation to create an anti-racist classroom." An educational background in
anti-racism equips teachers with foundational knowledge and principles that support them in
developing anti-racist skills and tools. This helps to build a critical understanding of racism and
how it impacts education. When teachers gain the knowledge, skills, and perspective to promote
anti-racism in the classroom and their educational background, they can readily and confidently
adopt organization-wide anti-racism goals and plans.
Contributing Factor Impacting Confidence #1: Lack of Faith in Leaders
While the study surfaced what shapes teachers' confidence in adopting anti-racism, it also
generated insights surrounding the factors that negatively impact teachers' confidence. Teachers
were asked what makes them more or less confident, and two trends surfaced; teachers pointed to
1) Lack of Vision & Leadership and 2) Lack of Procedural Knowledge as the main reasons that
they feel less confident in their ability to adopt the anti-racist strategies and principles in their
classroom. When teachers feel like there is a lack of vision and leadership in promoting anti-
racism in a focused manner, it negatively affects their confidence in the vision of anti-racism,
and their ability to adopt region wide anti-racist practices and goals. Kinley’s said:
I don't fare well with last minute changes right away I adapt yes but don’t agree with it
no and so that in itself just like makes me feel like uneasy like I'll get the task done, but I

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don't feel easy about it at all, so I think being prepared and internalized and well versed
on whatever I'm about to do is always like what's making me feel confident because if I
know exactly what I'm the goal is.
Omar shared that what makes him less confident is:
I think certainly at times as an educator within the region it's difficult for me to believe
that certain [anti-racist] goals are nothing more than performative… [I also] think the
way that certain leadership takes feedback sometimes it's they're not receptive to
feedback and they take it personally.
When anti-racism work comes across as performative, the teachers within the system often fail to
engage with the work with a tone of seriousness and thoughtfulness. Without a genuine
commitment that is integrated within and across all structures, it is easy for teachers to
misinterpret the organization's anti-racism efforts as performative or shallow. Omar continued:
“I've been through a [number of] school leaders. I've been [at my school for] 9 years and the
turnover rate for the teachers is really high.”
When teachers experience uncertainty regarding school leadership and witness high
turnover rates, it can create an environment that lacks commitment toward students and fails to
provide a supportive setting for teachers to thrive. In such circumstances, teachers' confidence
may be diminished as they grapple with an unstable and unsupportive work environment. The
skepticism and mistrust that creeps in when teachers see the work of anti-racism as performative
creates unnecessary resistance to the work and can hinder teachers from building trust and
fostering authentic relationships required to do the work necessary to create substantive and
transformative structural change as an anti-racist educator. Guadalupe Vazquez spoke to the
consequences that arise when teachers believe anti-racism efforts are performative:

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In theory [anti-racism] sounds good to our donors, but how much of it are we really
practicing? I think that's always [the pitfall] where I'm like I don't believe that the people
who are planning [anti-racism] have their hearts in the right spot but I think in the end all
that this all the region really genuinely cares about is test scores and this [anti-racism
talk] is just cookie cutter to make our school the other schools [look good].
All the teachers had a personal commitment to anti-racism. However, their confidence level
wavered if they lacked faith in the leadership's ability to implement an effective plan to support
teachers in its implementation. Their comments suggested that teachers had a diminished sense
of self-efficacy when they perceived the organization's efforts as performative.
Contributing Factor Impacting Confidence #2: Lack of Procedural and Conceptual
Knowledge
The second factor contributing to teachers diminished self-efficacy was their lack of
procedural and conceptual knowledge. Procedural knowledge refers to the steps, skills, and
procedures necessary to implement anti-racist practices and strategies effectively. In the context
of anti-racism, LPS teachers are seeking ways to ground their understanding of practice and
implementation. In turn, they believe procedural knowledge will help to increase their
confidence and efficacy in anti-racism. In turn, conceptual knowledge refers to the underlying
principles and frameworks related to anti-racism. This includes but is not limited to a shallow
understanding of empathy and cultural responsiveness, vague language, and terminology to
address structural racism and communicate it effectively to students and peers.
Pahley expressed that anti-racism was a "loaded concept that there are so many
misconceptions, there are so many things that I don't know." Pahley added:

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I'm just afraid of me making an oops remark and how to really you know kind of have to
retract that or explain it to kids who I think developmentally don’t understand they
probably know it but really not have a deep understanding of the whole idea of how it
came to existence and what we need to do to kind of have a better outcome when it
comes to racism in America.
RC, took Pahley’s sentiments a step further by pointing to the disconnect teachers have:
I do feel like the things that we do are detached from beliefs around anti-
racism…probably [having] more language around [anti-racism] or like connections to it
directly as opposed to non-directly. I think that would also not only help me but other
colleagues of mine as well because sometimes we do these things, and they don't always
seem like [its] grounded or connected [to anti-racism].
The feedback expressed in RC’s sentiments, was reflected in nine of the teachers’ comments.
There still is a bit of fog around some of the anti-racism concepts. Chepe, commented:
I think for me to be able to see how another teacher maybe navigates through those types
of scenarios to see how I can maybe then adapt to what they're doing to equip [myself
with more tools].
Chepe is clearly asking for help so that he can put more shape and form around his anti-racist
practice. Similarly, Joan Baker shared:
I feel like I don't have resources because we don't have a program or an education. We
haven’t even had a short PD or anything like that where we can see exactly where the
district is headed and like how we could be more aware in our classroom of what needs to
be analyzed and needs to be edited or changed entirely.

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A lack of conceptual and procedural knowledge plays a significant role in shaping teachers'
confidence. The lack of access to procedural and conceptual knowledge as it pertains to anti-
racism may cause teachers to struggle with their self-efficacy and prohibit them from addressing
racism in their classroom adequately and hinder their ability to challenge racism in the face of
resistance confidently.
Motivation Finding #2 (Goal Setting): Personalized Goals, and Monitoring and Evaluation
Shape Teachers' Process to Confidently Set Goals and Practice Anti-Racism
The second assumed motivational influence was goal setting. Goal setting refers to
setting targets and objectives to work towards. In anti-racism, goal setting influences teachers'
actions and illustrates their motivation and commitment to anti-racism in action. Since goal
setting is domain-specific, the study asked participants, "What is your process for creating an
anti-racist environment and anti-racist experiences in your classroom?" to understand how they
map out, set goals, and plan to create an anti-racist learning environment. What surfaced was a
myriad of ways in which teachers intentionally practice anti-racism. These processes were
classified under one motivational trend: Intentional Anti-Racist Practices, which informed
teachers' ability to confidently practice anti-racism in their classrooms. Teachers shared their
unique strategies and processes for implementing anti-racist practices in their classrooms. Pahley
Ho created a more cohesive classroom community by creating a class charter. According to
Pahley:
This year we came up with a charter. I think that's something we did this year, building
our community up and talking about how we want to feel when we come into our
campus.

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Jazzy Maxwell focused on the design of an inclusive and collaborative classroom space by
employing inclusive and anti-bias language. Maxwell shared:
I think about the classroom space. I think about using language that really demonstrates
like it's our space. It's not my space, it's our space. It's all of us. We are a team. I really
think about the language that I use in terms of ensuring that it's all of us and like we all
have a responsibility in this space and everyone's responsibility may look a little
different.
Jane Curry echoed Jazzy’s strategy:
I think the number one would be physical environment um like setting up your classroom
at the beginning of the year and thinking through the ways that you're doing things. Even
things like desk arrangement -like why am I facing my kids in lines forward and what is
that indicative of, and why? I also ask, what are the pros and cons of that what am I
putting on my walls and why.
Another intentional strategy employed by RC was establishing a clarity of understanding of
strengths and weaknesses and how to leverage those strengths to create an inviting classroom
environment that centers the voices of families and students. RC shared:
In some ways like I just start with myself like where am I at what are my strengths? I
bring areas I'd like to work on and then… I just partner with my families and work
together to figure out what we need and what works and then I try and yeah just like
equity of voice, [how we] share voice and power and get as much from others as possible.
Candice Smith’s strategy reflected RC’s. Candice said:
This year, I’ve taken time out of my prep or lunch to meet with students. For example, if
I see students from different backgrounds or cultures not getting along or having some

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minor issues, I take it upon myself to meet with them and pull them from or include them
in my lunch period and have a small group session to talk to them and be transparent and
hear them out meaning the students, and so that has really developed an open-door policy
within my classroom.
The theme that emerged from the data in the goal-setting domain suggests that teachers are
implementing intentional anti-racist practices in their classrooms. The study showed teachers
using many anti-racist practices that were personalized and deliberately designed to create a
more inclusive, equitable, and cooperative classroom culture. Teachers felt empowered and
inspired to act and make anti-racism live in their classrooms.
Motivation Summary
Motivation was identified as a crucial factor in teachers' performance towards meeting
organizational goals, with self-efficacy and goal setting emerging as two influential factors. This
study examined teachers' confidence and motivation to implement anti-racist practices in their
classrooms. The data collected revealed that all interviewed teachers expressed varying degrees
of confidence in their ability and willingness to incorporate anti-racist pedagogical tools and
strategies. Remarkably, they were confident in fostering an anti-racist classroom environment.
The research findings indicate that teachers' reported confidence in implementing anti-racist
practices was influenced by two key factors: teaching experience and educational background.
Moreover, the study revealed that teachers' approach to designing anti-racist classrooms
involved intentionally using anti-racist strategies that were preventative. The motivation to
incorporate anti-racist teaching strategies into their classrooms was demonstrated by some of the
teachers' ability to set targeted classroom management goals rooted in anti-racism. Additionally,
it was seen through their ability to plan lessons deliberately.

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This section's research question was: " What motivational factors lead teachers to adopt
organization-wide change goals?” By exploring various domains of motivation, I gained valuable
insights into teachers' motivation to implement anti-racism within their classrooms. The data
shed light on the factors contributing to teachers' confidence and motivation in implementing
anti-racist practices, highlighting the importance of self-efficacy, goal setting, teaching
experience, and educational background in fostering a commitment to anti-racist education. It
also highlighted the factors inhibiting their ability to develop and sustain a committed anti-racist
practice, such as a lack of faith in leadership and procedural knowledge. Finally, the study shed
light on the factors that hindered teachers' ability to develop and maintain a dedicated anti-racist
practice, including a lack of confidence in leadership and limited procedural knowledge. Both of
which are essential factors that can contribute to teachers' motivation.
Organizational Findings
This section focuses on the organizational factors that support or prevent teachers from
becoming confident and effective anti-racist teachers. It is widely accepted that an organization's
policies, processes, and people play a crucial role in determining its performance (Rueda, 2011).
Therefore, analyzing the organizational factors that support or hinder and impede teacher
effectiveness is crucial, particularly regarding their capacity to become confident anti-racist
practitioners. By doing so, strategies can be developed to address the barriers and enhance the
organization's anti-racist performance. The organizational culture is a dynamic process that is
"created and recreated by individuals in the course of negotiating everyday life" (Rueda, 2001, p.
55). Questions were asked about their work culture specific to their school site, support, climate,
embedded support, policies, group norms, and organizational messaging to understand the
boundaries within which teachers perceive their work.

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The assumed organizational influences examined in the study relate to cultural models
and settings. Cultural models are the "shared mental schema or normative understandings of how
the world works, or ought to work" (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001, p. 47). These processes
"represent, in a given community or ecological niche, historically evolved and shared ways of
perceiving, thinking, and storing possible responses to adaptive challenges and changing
conditions" (p. 47). Thus, cultural models reflect how the organization is structured, including its
values, practices, policies, reward structures, and more. The cultural model questions the
structures the organization has in place to implement anti-racist strategies across the
organization, from onboarding to policymaking to support the adoption of anti-racism. To
examine this organizational influence, teachers were asked three questions:
1. From your perspective, what structures, strategies, and systems need to be in place to
sustain this work?
2. Have you noticed anything (policies or practices) or anyone that may be hindering the
organization from being able to implement anti-racism within and across the
organization?
3. If you had a magic wand, how would you best help promote anti-racism to teachers
across the network?
4. The second assumed organizational influence is cultural settings, which refers to the
cultural context where policies and practices are enforced. Gallimore & Goldenberg (2001)
highlight how cultural settings are about the more visible aspects of the organization, such as
specific meeting spaces, the who, what, when, where, why, and routines that constitute everyday
life. The specific cultural setting assumed influence in this study was understanding the kinds of
coaching and support teachers have and the kinds of support that they need. Teachers were

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asked: “Does anyone on-campus support you with implementing anti-racist practices in your
classroom? If so, who? And: “What kinds of additional support do you need when you ask for
help/to ask for help?” The key findings for the cultural setting assumed influence were Time,
Coaching, and Support. The cultural setting goal is to examine how the organization commits to
supporting LPS teachers with anti-racist tools and strategies to use in their classrooms from the
teachers' perspective. By understanding the cultural models and cultural settings that influence
teacher effectiveness, organizations can develop strategies to address barriers and improve anti-
racist performance. Table 10 presents the assumed organizational influences of the participants,
along with the key findings from the interviews. Table 11 outlines the interview questions
reflecting the assumed knowledge influence and the corresponding research question.
Table 10
Organizational Influences
Organizational
Influence
Assumed Organizational Influence Key Findings
Cultural Model
Influence 1
The organization adopts and
implements anti-racist strategies
from onboarding, policy making,
training, and beyond to model the
use of anti-racism for teachers.
Teachers identified the following strategies as tools to
support the implementation of anti-racism in their
classroom and organizationally:
● Clear & Shared Frameworks to Norm Practices
● Defined LPS Vision & Pathway
● Structured & Pre-planned Time to Focus on Anti-Racism

Cultural Setting
Influence 2
The organization commits to
supporting LPS teachers with anti-
racist tools and strategies to use in
their classrooms.
Teachers identified the following tools needed to practice
anti-racism in their classrooms:
● Enhanced & Deliberate Coaching
● Pragmatic Professional Development

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● High Quality Teachers & Accountable Leaders

Table 11
Interview Questions corresponding to research questions
Research Questions:
1. What support do teachers need from LPS to effectively roll out organization-wide anti-
racist standards?
2. How do teachers experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or racism
on campus?

Conceptual
Framework:
K, M, O
Interview Questions:
If you experience or witness racism in your classroom or school, who would you most
likely call to ask for help?
● Does anyone on-campus support you with implementing anti-racist practices in your
classroom? If so, who?
● What kinds of additional support do you need when you ask for help/to ask for help?
What, if anything, should the organization stop doing or continue doing as it pertains
to anti-racism?
● Have you noticed anything (policies or practices) or anyone that may be hindering the
organization from being able to implement anti-racism within and across the
organization?
● If you had a magic wand, how would you best help promote anti-racism to teachers
across the network?
Organizational

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● From your perspective, what structures, strategies, and systems need to be in place to
sustain this work?

Assumed Organizational Influence #1—Cultural Models: Several Strategies Serve as Tools
to Support the Implementation of Anti-Racism in Classrooms and Organizationally
Cultural models “define for individuals the way things should be…models develop gradually,
from collective transmitted information (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001, p.47). With this in
mind, teachers were asked a series of questions to expose the organizational factors that shaped
their understanding of the norms and practices of Liberation Public School based on how they
perceive, interpret, and respond to various situations. The key findings are
1. Having Clear and Shared Frameworks to Norm Practices,
2. Having a Defined LPS Vision and Pathway, and
3. Structured & Pre-planned Time to Focus on Anti-Racism.
Finding #1: Clear & Shared Frameworks to Norm Practices
The first key finding of the assumed cultural models' influence is the importance of LPS
having a clear and shared framework for norm practices. Eight of the twelve teachers suggested
that LPS provide frameworks and mental representations of anti-racism at Liberation Public
Schools to norm the organizational anti-racism values. Teachers desire to use the framework and
tools to guide their behavior, decision-making, and teaching practice. Having a Framework will
represent "shared ways of perceived, thinking, and strong possible responses to adaptive
challenge and changing conditions" (p. 47). In essence, a framework, a cultural model, helps
shape organizational values' structure. Patricia George explained: I just need it more concretely,
either named or shown. Yeah, videos, rubrics, or checklists that are aligned to it. Hearing or

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seeing, like in our teacher practice rubric, more of those connections would be helpful, or even
its own section, although it really informs everything we do, it's hard.
Additionally, Pahley shared:
I would probably say more of like a guideline of what's OK to say and what's not OK to
say because I mean they still are kids.” Pahley continued, I think that's what I would
need, just some kind of manual or some type of written thing that I can always refer back
to.
Chepe's need for more practical tools sounded similar to the teachers above; he notes: "I think
the biggest thing for me this year at least would be resources." The data suggests that naming
how the region will and does approach certain scenarios would help teachers' norm responses to
specific anti-racist scenarios. The organization can provide teachers with specific frameworks,
curriculum guides, and shared practices to support teachers adopting anti-racism standards.
Finding #2: A Defined Anti-Racist Vision
The second organizational finding for assumed cultural models of influence was teachers'
desire for the organization to define a clear and consistent anti-racist vision. The findings reveal
that some LPS teachers in the study believe that the organizational values and priorities
regarding anti-racism are not aligned with the current practices of the specific school sites. Out
of the 12 teachers interviewed, nine felt that some of the practices in their school sites did not
align with the overall vision of anti-racism communicated by the organization. Three teachers
even went as far as to say that their schools prioritize state test scores over anti-racism, which, if
true, has the propensity to hinder their ability to practice anti-racism consistently. In this case,
Jane suggests putting anti-racism at the center of the work to help filter the work through. Jane
explained:

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We need to reprioritize where we put anti-racism in our like school wide vision for
example like you know we list it as a priority in our vision but then is that being reflected
in the amount of time, we're spending on it? Because if it is at the top but then we don't
mention it all school year and instead we spend every PD talking about logistics?
This disconnection between the organizational message and its implementation can negatively
impact the teachers' work and dedication. By analyzing the cultural models in each school, LPS
can address the discrepancies and create a more consistent and inclusive workplace that aligns
with the overall anti-racism vision. Omar outlined the kind of support that they would want to
see from the organization stating:
the leadership’s commitment to continuous learning in this area and some action behind
it…I think more than anything is showing community members, and stakeholders that the
region is more than just performative buzzwords and there's actually like action behind it.
Teachers like Omar emphasized the importance of a coherent and cogent organizational vision.
Infusing a clear vision can help to fuel teachers’ motivation and commitment to the anti-racism
goals and philosophy. Teachers like Katheryn in the study believed it is also important to:
continue putting action behind their words and honestly like coming together as a region
at strong start and all the emails that we receive like commit to like certain commitments
for this school year I would like to see progression throughout the school year.
Jane Curry reiterated that creating a structure to manage communicating the vision is an effective
way to reinforce the assumed organizational cultural model influence finding of defining a clear
anti-racist vision. By establishing a clear, well-defined structure, teachers believe it would help
them cement and activate their commitment to anti-racism even more than they currently are.
Finding #3: Structured and Pre-Planned Time to Focus on Anti-Racism

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The third key finding in the cultural model's assumed influence is the availability of pre-
planned time for teachers to dedicate explicitly to focusing on anti-racism. This refers to
providing structured opportunities within the organization's schedule or curriculum for teachers
and staff to engage in anti-racism activities, discussions, and professional development. When
time is planned and allocated for anti-racism, it signals the organization's deep commitment to
creating inclusive learning environments, dedication to dismantling racism, and upending White
supremacy. Six teachers emphasized the importance of having dedicated time within the school's
current structures to develop their anti-racist practice effectively. Jane Curry highlighted this
need, stating:
[We] need to have designated time devoted to it if it's Monday PDs instead of talking
about whatever it is that week, the material request or whatever it is that week. Setting
aside actual time, that's the biggest thing for teachers that like the reason that gets in the
way of doing anything in our job. [We have to] reprioritize where we put anti-racism in
our school wide vision for example like you know we list it as a priority in our vision but
then is that being reflected in the amount of time, we're spending on it?
Omar highlighted the need for sustained effort and on-going planning time to deliberately focus
on anti-racism. Omar explained that:
I also think that giving teachers more planning time to not only think about their practices
but also like as whole school practicing practices and then regional practices and then
committing to one within or depending on like how big it is through out like a certain
school year like by the end of this school year, we're going to accomplish this and this is
how we're going to get there I guess the plan and the goal
Jazzy reinforced the other teachers’ points about more time:

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I think just having the time and space to do [be reflective]. We move at a pretty fast
pace. Everything is just like there's no transitions space in between lessons there's no like
room for error per se you just have to take it and I think having the time and space to just
really sit in a practice that as a whole school like everybody just have a dedicated time
OK this is the time where you're going to sit and [reflect] on your practice.
She continued:
[We need a] bit more time to reflect and not just let it be like this like once in a blue
moon type of conversation. We have to continuously act to be reflective so that we are
moving towards being anti-racist.
According to the teachers in the study, pre-planned time for anti-racism will enable teachers to
acquire the knowledge and skills to incorporate anti-racism into their teaching effectively. It also
will create a normed structure for communicating anti-racism beliefs and values.
Assumed Organizational Influence #2—Cultural Setting: Teachers identified several tools
needed to practice anti-racism in their classrooms
Cultural setting refers to "whenever two or more people come together, over time, to
accomplish something (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001, p.47).) It encompasses the
organizational culture's beliefs, behaviors, policies, and individuals. Cultural settings include
leadership and accountability, policies and procedures, organizational values, communication,
and professional development and training. Cultural settings play an incredible role in promoting
anti-racism. The teachers were asked two questions to expose the organizational factors that
shape the values, beliefs, processes, and structures that shape Liberation Public School. The
questions that helped to surface the perceived organizational setting needs from teachers:

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1. If you experience or witness racism in your classroom or school, who would you most
likely call to ask for help?
2. Does anyone on-campus support you with implementing anti-racist practices in your
classroom? If so, who?
The key findings in this section are: (1) Enhanced and Deliberate Coaching, (2) Pragmatic
Professional Development, and (3) Hiring High-Quality Teachers and Accountable Leaders.
Finding #1: Enhanced & Deliberate Coaching
The first key finding for cultural settings teachers identified is the need for enhanced and
deliberate coaching. The data indicated that all teachers said they would ask for support from
their direct manager and school leader. However, it was interesting that most teachers have not
asked for direct, explicit support to promote anti-racism. Kinley said:
I do feel comfortable going to you know school leader, my manager, but I have not asked
for support. One teacher stated that they speak with the other people on [their] 4th grade
team…but those are more informal conversations, but I don't feel like there's any sort of
formal support being provided.
All of the research participants echoed having no committed direct support for their anti-racist
practice. A lower-school and upper-school teacher punctuated their statements by sharing that at
LPS; teachers have one on ones with their managers. Teachers, like Jane and six other teachers,
spoke about the importance of embedding anti-racism in everything the organization does rather
than talking about it occasionally. Guadalupe said, “As unrealistic or unrealistic as it sounds, I
guess, but when teachers have their 03s (one-to-one meetings) with their managers monthly, it
has to be focused on anti-racism.” Teachers want to know that the person guiding them is

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knowledgeable and can guide them in the right direction. Similarly, RC also commented on the
trust factor:
I need to trust that they have the knowledge to help me. I guess it's a matter of trusting
that the person I go to knows what they're doing and is able to like to be an expert in
[anti-racism] so that I can trust their opinion, but I don't necessarily feel that way right
now that there is someone that I can go to that I trust their opinion or trust their
perspective, I guess.
Beyond trust, Omar highlights that there is a lack of support in general for the work. They
shared:
I do not feel supported in next steps similar to what I said before I tried my best to take
matters in my own hands and communicate with families and students, but I do wish and
hope to see a program where we are practicing at least monthly as a staff and as a school
anti-racism.
It becomes clearer with each comment that teachers are looking for deeper, more authentic
support to underscore their efforts to deepen their anti-racist practice. Patricia George punctuates
the message by stating: “I would love it if they were more educated on [anti-racism]. I would like
for the admin to also have anti-racist practices.”
Teachers strongly desire consistent and dedicated coaching and education from their
administrative team, recognizing the need for structured support to enhance their ability to
address and promote anti-racism. However, they feel that such coaching and access to experts in
the field is currently lacking, hindering their professional growth and the advancement of anti-
racist practices in their classrooms and schools.
Finding #2: Pragmatic Professional Development

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The second key finding for cultural settings teachers identified is the need for pragmatic
professional development. Pragmatic professional development closes the gap between theory
and practice. It is an applied and hands-on approach to help teachers develop critical skills and
strategies that can be directly applied to classroom needs in real-time. The data highlighted the
importance of ongoing professional development to support teachers in incorporating anti-
racism. Jane expressed the need for more training and resources to continue their growth as anti-
racist practitioners. Jane commented: "I think it is important to consistently be reading and going
to workshops and not becoming stagnant in your learning.” A 7th-grade teacher expressed: “It
would probably be helpful to have some sort of professional development.” Ten teachers asked
for more modeling, check-ins, and professional development. Essentially, teachers want to know
what anti-racism looks like in the classroom.
Pahley, on the other hand, asked for more schooling, stating: “Maybe (LPS) can provide
more schooling. I could use a refresher. I think that is what I would need.” She also asked for
“some kind of manual or some type of written thing that I can always refer back to.” Jazzy’s
comments and three other teachers echo this sentiment; Jazzy asked:
How do we take the things that we discuss in professional development and like really
like translated into like our practices and so like but it's like talk about it but then it's like
how do we really do the follow up?
Patricia George echoed the other voices in this study by explicitly asking for more tactical
support: "I want more tactical things. I do not just want to learn what the word racism means. I
do not need to do that right now." A lower-school teacher also shared, "It would be helpful to
continue to have [PDs]. Often we will do professional development, but that is it." The teachers
want professional development focusing on mastery of a concept, being given tactical strategies

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and tools, and time to practice the strategies backed by assessment and feedback. They would
also like to track the impact on their student learning, get feedback, and continue to grow. As of
now, they need access to that. To that end, Katheryn explained:
I think the region should stop promoting itself to be anti-racist or like to provide anti-
racist education without like proper training supports and this for teachers because just
because we had a PD about what racism is that is not like you are not an anti-racist school
that's something that lives within a whole school and like every day at the school so I
don't think that it makes educators happy to see the region just saying that they're doing
something and not actually following up with it.
Katheryn's insightful reflection on the region's inadequate preparation for teachers resonated with
other educators, who hinted at similar concerns but did not point to root causes. While some
teachers emphasized the need for training and increased support, they wanted the development
focused on skill building and real-time problem solving to navigate the challenges of being an
anti-racist practitioner. Katheryn brought attention to a crucial aspect: the extent to which the
values of anti-racism are consistently reflected within the school's culture and climate. In this
case, she believes that LPS needs to embody its core tenet, which, if it were, would result in
teachers receiving sufficient training.
Finding #3: Hiring High-Quality Teachers and Accountable Leaders
The final theme that emerged in the cultural setting assumed influence was accountability
for leadership and hiring high-quality teachers. High-quality teachers tremendously impact
student learning achievement and the overall student experience. At the same time, accountable
school leadership takes responsibility for the success, outcomes, and performance of the school.

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Most, if not all, of the participants, mentioned the importance of holding leadership accountable.
For example, Omar stated:
Sometimes there may be or maybe not as much accountability on those leaders and how
they're developing the teachers by the school leader. I don't know what accountability
looks like, but I think from what I hear there's a lot of undefined things happening and
like lack of clarity and regional seats... I guess there's a lack of transparency as well and
what the region is like doing to retain teachers, I think is like my biggest like question
right now is at this time where you know there's like been a shift of like in person
learning and big expectations like how we are taking care of the teachers.
When I asked Katheryn about the organization and its leadership she said:
Everyone nods politely and agrees or even sometimes nods passionately and agrees and
says we should change these things we should improve this one that that and I'll see
people taking notes and typing things down but there's never I I've so rarely see any sort
of actual follow up or next step after.
These comments illustrate the impact of unaccountable school leaders on teachers and the school
at large. When teachers feel unsupported and lack accountability, they mistrust the organization-
wide initiatives and fail to see them as necessary. The teachers in the study expressed a lack of
trust and confidence in the organization’s leadership to achieve its anti-racist goals. From their
perspective, leadership means their specific school leader and the regional team members. It also
sheds light on the social dynamics in the workplace, including who holds influence and
accountability and the resulting power dynamics. Five teachers shared their thoughts on holding
regional teams and senior leadership accountable. They expressed concerns about what happens
when issues arise and a teacher or another team member points out a problem. They felt that

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sometimes their feedback was ignored, and there was a lack of follow-up action. This raises
important questions about how the organization can create a culture of accountability and ensure
that everyone is working together to achieve the anti-racist vision.
Teachers also felt that the teacher shortage crisis impacted the organization's ability to
operationalize anti-racism in the classroom successfully. Two of the teachers mentioned that.
Anti-racism starts with having a high-quality teacher. Quality teachers are critical to the success
of not only students in a classroom but the entire school. Katheryn Rodriquez mentioned: "We
have had a huge teacher turnover rate. I believe at one point, we had seven substitutes in the
building, so right there, we have already failed our students." This theme of high-quality
educators continued. Jane, RC, and Omar said:
We had a lot [of teachers who left or quit]; I think a lot of schools did, too, just a lot of
teacher turnover. Our whole admin team is completely new. We have no one returning on
our new admin team, and it really feels like this school's first year again. (Jane)

OK we need to figure out how we're going to keep staff and keep them for more than a
year or two because you can't sustain a program if you have turnover and people
relearning something every year or two and bringing people on board every year or two
just to lose them afterwards pretty quickly. (RC)

And in my particular school I've been through three school leaders. I've been [at my
school for a while,] and the turnover rate for the teachers is high. (Omar)

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RC shared how the teacher shortage also impacts what leadership teams can focus on during the
school year. They stated:
I don't think [my admin team] is against anti-racism. I just think that they're struggling so
much to get the school together because they're brand new that it just hasn't been a focus
yeah.
According to all of the teachers, the lack of high-quality teachers has impacted all the LPS
schools, but some are more impacted than others.
Organizational Summary
The two research questions guiding this section were: What support do teachers need
from LPS to effectively roll out organization-wide anti-racist standards, and how do teachers
experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or racism on campus? According to
the teachers interviewed in the study, the current cultural models (frameworks and tools, vision,
and values for anti-racism) must be more efficient. There was a call for more effective and
valuable cultural models to empower teachers to disrupt White supremacy and shift the region's
culture to become anti-racist. Some teachers expressed needs of varying degrees depending on
the school they worked at within the region. While this study did not validate school differences,
what was noticeable is that regardless of the school the teacher worked out, each teacher
acknowledged similar cultural models. Likewise, the current cultural settings (personal
development, coaching, and accountability for leaders) have not had the impact on the teachers
needed to support their goal of being effective anti-racist practitioners in order to dismantle and
disrupt White supremacy. They could have been more efficient. The teachers did not feel that the
cultural settings adequately supported their goal to become anti-racist practitioners. Furthermore,
the data revealed that although their schools have done some preliminary work on anti-racism,

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more needs to be done to create a more cohesive vision and plan organizationally to align all
schools and teachers with how LPS will employ anti-racism in the classroom. It also means LPS
needs to reevaluate and enhance its cultural models and settings to better align with its
organizational goal and to meet the needs of its teachers better to address and confront racism in
education effectively.
Conclusion
This comprehensive chapter presented the study's significant findings, which aimed to
understand how teachers in LPS perceive the norms and practices surrounding anti-racism within
their workplace. The organization's ultimate goal is confidently empowering teachers to combat
racism in their classrooms by 2025. This study identified the structures and systems necessary to
support this overarching objective. The study uncovered several vital insights by analyzing
interviews conducted with twelve teachers. Firstly, the assumptions about the Knowledge,
Motivation, and Opportunity (KMO) framework align with the teachers' perceived needs. These
findings reaffirm the importance of addressing teachers' knowledge gaps, providing sufficient
motivation, and ensuring they have ample opportunities to engage in anti-racist practice with
proper organizational support. Additionally, the findings highlight the role of ongoing
professional development and training. These skills need to be modeled, reinforced, and helped
daily. They need to be practiced moment by moment. Teachers believe they can only do this with
proper guidance and strategic support that is targeted and refined over time. Furthermore, it
emphasizes the importance of fostering a school culture and climate that is equitable, anti-racist,
and reflective of the overall organizational goals and values exhibited and cultivated by the
school leader through keen accountability.

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In summary, the findings suggest that addressing teachers' knowledge, motivation, and
organizational gaps can be critical components for successfully helping teachers become more
adept at practicing anti-racism and being effective anti-racist teachers. Chapter Five will provide
detailed recommendations to support the LPS in creating a positive and productive environment
that empowers teachers to become effective anti-racist practitioners. These recommendations
will encompass strategies for addressing the identified needs, including addressing knowledge
gaps, fostering accountability in leadership, and establishing dedicated time for anti-racist
practice. By implementing these recommendations, LPS can work towards creating a supportive
and inclusive environment that equips teachers with the necessary tools to combat racism
effectively in their classrooms.

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We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas
and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.
—Mary McLeod Bethune
Chapter Five: Recommendations
The primary objective of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the kinds
of support teachers at Liberation Public Schools (LPS) need to turn their commitment to anti-
racism into an active and effective classroom practice. Additionally, the research sought to assess
existing support mechanisms provided by the organization and identify areas for improvement to
enhance anti-racist teaching practices across the organization. By examining these aspects, the
study hopes to contribute to Liberation Public School’s organizational growth, providing them
with the resources, tools, and assistance teachers need to prioritize equity and inclusivity
actively. The aim is to utilize the insights and recommendations to inform system-wide training,
identify necessary structural shifts, and bring about the required changes to benefit the
organization's nearly 600 teachers. By incorporating these findings, the organization can foster
an environment that supports and empowers educators to actively engage in anti-racist practices
and create equitable learning experiences for all students. Chapter One introduced the problem of
practice and situated the study with the following research questions:
1. What are teachers’ perceived knowledge needs to address anti-racism in the classroom?
2. How do teachers experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or racism on
campus?
3. What motivational factors lead teachers to adopt organization-wide change goals?
4. What support do teachers need from LPS to effectively roll out organization-wide anti-
racist standards?

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Chapter Two delved into the extensive literature surrounding racism in the educational system,
specifically focusing on the historical context of racism in California schools. Chapter Three
introduced Rueda's (2011) conceptual framework of performance improvement, which identified
the critical influences of knowledge, motivation, and organization (KMO) that either facilitate or
hinder a learner's ability. It also documented the methodology to answer the study’s research
question and discussed ethical considerations. Chapter Four presented the crucial findings
derived from analyzing the assumed influences on performance. The primary objective of this
chapter is to propose actionable practices that Liberation Public Schools can adopt to support and
enhance teachers' performance as anti-racist practitioners. These recommendations are
synthesized from the study's findings and ongoing analysis of best practices in the research
literature.
Discussion of Key Findings
This study is critical because it provided insights into the experiences of charter-school
teachers and their commitment to anti-racism. The findings of this study are essential as they
empower teachers to voice their commitment to anti-racism and shed light on their concerns
regarding the existing barriers and challenges, they face. Every teacher in the study expressed
profound gratitude for being allowed to share their experience and provide invaluable insight
into their perceptions of anti-racism at LPS. As previously mentioned, teachers play a crucial
role in ensuring that racism in schools is disrupted and dismantled (Cheng & Soudack,1994).
This study provided a valuable platform for teachers to directly share their experiences, enabling
LPS to gain insights into how they can support teachers in challenging biases and committing to
anti-racism through their pedagogical practice.
In the knowledge domain, the study examined teachers’ knowledge of anti-racism and its

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effects on students. To that end, all participants in the study shared the importance of
interrogating their positionality and bias as a critical component of anti-racism, which is
validated by the research (Eddie, 2021; Hooks, 2018; Ohito, 2021). Teachers in this study had
strong declarative knowledge and insights about how their subjective experiences shape their
teaching practices. They recognized that they could leverage their understanding to connect with
their students and empower student voices when actively engaged in reflective practice.
Research also suggests that when teachers integrate anti-racist practices into their
instructional repertoire, curriculum, and classroom culture, it positively impacts the academic
achievement and well-being of Black and Brown students and gives them the strength to resist
oppressive forces (Carter, 2008; Cabrera et al., 2016). While all teachers in the study practiced
various anti-racism aspects, it is essential to note that two teachers, in particular, demonstrated a
dedication to raising their students’ critical consciousness through their lesson plan designs.
Alderman et al. (2019) confirmed the importance of lifting students’ critical consciousness,
suggesting, “anti-racist educators are obligated to raise student awareness of how systems of
racial bias and hierarchy are embedded within the prevailing systems and practices of schools''
(p.188). This finding is further backed by Misco & Shiveley’s (2016) research on
operationalizing social justice that shares that teaching children to think critically and challenge
dominant narratives has the propensity to foster inclusivity, improve notions of students'
academic selves, and aid students in preparing to confront and dismantle racism in their lives and
the world around them.
Furthermore, incorporating anti-racist principles into their teachings can encourage
students to become leaders in their communities and homes by equipping them with a heightened
awareness of the systems around them. While two teachers were actively incorporating anti-

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racism into their curriculum design and lessons, most of the teachers, unfortunately, were not. To
design lessons that encourage children to engage in anti-racist thinking, teachers need to
understand the underlying principles of anti-racism. They need high-quality resources, examples,
and demo lessons to learn how to do it themselves. This finding is consistent with research that
suggests teachers need more guidance on implementing anti-racism beyond individual
reflections. Alderman et al. (2019) emphasized that “such pedagogical development requires
generating specific instructional approaches and sober discussions of benefits and challenges” (p.
188).
From a motivation perspective, this study sought to understand teachers’ motivation to
adopt organization-wide change goals. Specifically, the research examined teachers’ self-
efficacy, which refers to their confidence in implementing anti-racist pedagogical tools and
strategies in their daily activities. According to Lawrence (2005), teachers express a commitment
to change, but acting on that commitment is another matter. Consistent with Lawrence’s
findings, the study revealed that teachers at LPS have a self-reported high-level commitment to
anti-racism. However, teachers in the study also acknowledged how their motivation is impacted
by a lack of skill or knowledge in understanding what anti-racism looks and feels like in the
classroom. Put differently; the study found that teachers' motivation to adopt and implement anti-
racism goals was hindered by their lack of procedural knowledge.
This finding moves beyond the current research, which traditionally focuses on pre-
service teachers' desire to be unbiased and the importance of teachers leveraging anti-racist
practices in the classroom. Research from Sobel and Taylor (2005) highlights how pre-service
teachers made "vehement requests" to have more hands-on experiences and direction on "how to
implement inclusive educational practices into their classrooms" (p. 85). While the teachers in

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this study are in-service teachers, their research highlights how educators request support for
implementation on both ends of the spectrum-pre-service and in-service. This research found that
in the absence of a clear set of instructional strategies or pedagogical practices for implementing
anti-racism, teachers can, as revealed in this study, perceive contradictions between the
administration's beliefs about anti-racism and the alignment of those beliefs with actual practice
due to the inconsistencies and perceived lack of support from the administration. Once again,
according to Lawrence (2005), current research indicates that "teachers' perceptions of what they
believe they need to be successful may influence their success, whereas other studies suggest that
the success of teachers' work to implement change depends on whether they believe that it is
valued and supported by school personnel" (p.356).
From an organizational perspective, the study sought to understand what support teachers
need from LPS to roll out organization-wide anti-racist standards effectively. While there were
many findings, three key findings emerged as significant. Firstly, the study revealed that teachers
desired a clear, straightforward anti-racist vision statement. For them, the anti-racist vision
statement would reflect their authentic beliefs of the school. Lawrence’s (2005) study echoes the
sentiments of the teachers in this study, stating that if administrators are to implement anti-
racism across their school successfully, they need to be “on the same page” (p. 356) in terms of
their views of anti-racism highlighting the importance of collective commitment driven by strong
leadership.
Secondly, in discussing the organizational influence, another significant finding emerged
indicating teachers’ desire to have dedicated time within the school day to explore, study and
deepen their anti-racist practice and understanding. This finding is consistent with research that
suggests that school leaders are responsible for carving out time within the school day to ensure

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teachers can focus on anti-racism (Derman-Sparks et al., 2015). Once again, the research
confirms that support from administrators plays a significant role in ensuring teachers sustain
their anti-racism efforts over time. Teachers desire to have more alignment between the anti-
racism initiatives and the structures and supports of the organization. This finding brought back
memories of my time as a classroom teacher, reminding me of the feelings of isolation that can
arise when working independently. This finding also signals that for this work to be done
effectively, it must be done in connection with the school leader, not by teachers who are
metaphorically cast to play 'Survival.' The teachers in the study believe that if they had more
time to explore anti-racism, it would lead to opportunities to deepen their understanding, develop
innovative strategies, and reinforce how much their schools value anti-racism as a core
component of schooling rather than viewing it as an add-on.
Thirdly, the last highlight from the organizational findings was that teachers believed
their administrators needed to be held more accountable for the work. The findings extend
beyond the current research that typically focuses on “how prepared teachers are to interact with
a diverse body of students” rather than examine “school context or interactions among school
personnel as factors that influence teachers; commitment to, and implementation of [anti-racist]
practices learned during professional development” (Lawrence, 2005, p. 350). Nevertheless,
none spoke explicitly to the need or importance of holding administrators accountable for anti-
racism. On the other hand, research does suggest that change efforts must involve all
stakeholders to be successful (Metz, 1990; Tyack & Cuban, 1995). Research acknowledging
school leaders' impact on teachers' commitment to driving change solidifies the importance of
organizational impact.
Teachers in this study believed that holding their administrators accountable would

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increase the change efforts and reinforce the importance of anti-racism at their schools. For the
teachers, accountability would increase the collective commitment and ensure progress toward
equity and justice—making it a key priority. By holding leaders accountable for the outcomes of
anti-racism, teachers at LPS believe it would help ground and diffuse the work of anti-racism.
This idea is affirmed by Lawrence (2005), who notes that school context or interactions among
school professionals influence teachers' commitment to anti-racism (p. 350). She continues that a
school environment provides insight into teachers’ ability to “follow through with their
commitment to enact change” (p. 350).
The findings from the research show that LPS teachers possess several strengths in each
of the assumed influences (KMO). The data revealed teachers' challenges and opportunities in
implementing and promoting anti-racism. Liberation Public School teachers are yearning for
their leaders to take a more forward approach to drive change and a proactive stance towards
anti-racism by leading by example based on the insights they shared in the study.
Recommendations to Build Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational
Assets of Anti-Racist Leadership
Following the analysis of key findings and further literature review on the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences, four recommendations are proposed below. Before
delving into the recommendations, it is essential to restate why this anti-racist pedagogy is
critical. For the past sixty years, the U.S. school system has been called upon to address the issue
of racism (Arneback & Jamte, 2022). Since then, several methodologies and approaches have
emerged in hopes of responding to the call. Each to dismantle racism and to advance equal
opportunities for all children, with particular attention on Black children. However, Black
students are still disadvantaged; according to 2022 Smarter Balanced test results, only 30% of

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Black students meet English language arts standards, and 16% meet math standards, compared
with 47% and 33% for all students [in California]. At Los Angeles, Unified School District
(LAUSD), a neighboring school district to LPS, only 31% of Black students met English
language arts standards, and 17% met math standards (Sequeira, K. 2023).
Given the dismal performance of Black student achievement against other ethnic groups, a
statewide crisis needs to be addressed immediately. Liberation Public Schools has the
opportunity to lead the efforts for Black student achievement and other students of color. The
suggested practices are below, followed by Table 12, highlighting the suggestions, their
relationship to the key findings, and assumed influences on knowledge motivation, and
organization.
1. Develop a school-wide training program: Design and implement a training program
encompassing the 5 Ps of anti-racism: positionality, pedagogical application, praxis,
student performance, and possibility. The program will equip teachers with the
differentiated skills, tools, and knowledge to integrate anti-racism into their pedagogy
and meet teachers where they are on their respective learning paths.
2. Establish an Accountability Index: Implement an accountability framework to foster
collective responsibility that all stakeholders, including administrations, are held
accountable for promoting anti-racism within the school community.
3. Create a Visible Whole School Strategy and Action Plan: Develop a comprehensive
and compelling vision statement and strategy that clearly articulates how the school will
enact the change school wide, and the targeted impact it will have on student
achievement.
4. Develop a school-wide training program: Design and implement a training program

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that encompasses the 5 Ps of anti-racism: positionality, pedagogical application, praxis,
student performance, and possibility. The program will equip teachers with the
differentiated skills, tools, and knowledge to integrate anti-racism into their pedagogy.
5. Create Structured and Dedicated Time for Anti-Racism: Strategically carve out time
within the school each week for teachers to engage in anti-racist learning, reflection,
practice, and collaboration.
By implementing these recommendations, LPS can create a culture of collective
accountability driven by strong school leadership, establish a clear and visible plan to disrupt
racism, equip teachers with the necessary training and support to provide teachers with a
practical plan to incorporate anti-racist pedagogy into their work and provide structured
opportunities for sustained anti-racist work. These actions are responsive to the study's
findings and will help teachers begin to master their anti-racist practice. Table 12 shows the
overview of the assumed KMO influences and the aligned recommended practice
Table 12
Recommendations for Practice
Recommendations Relationship to key findings Support from literature
Recommendation #1

Develop a School Wide Training
Program

1.These factors play a crucial role in
knowledge influences impacting teachers’
ability to promote anti-racism in the
classroom.
● Lack of Procedural & Conceptual
Knowledge

2.Teachers identified the following
organizational influences impacting their
ability to promote anti-racism in the
classroom:
● Pragmatic Professional Development
● Freire (2000)
● Misco & Shiveley (2016)
● Patel (2021)
● Kishimoto (2016).

Recommendation #2

Create a Visible Whole School
Teachers identified the following
organizational influences impacting their
ability to promote anti-racism in the
● Kotter, J.P. (1996)
● Nimmo, J., Leekeenan, D., & Derman-
Sparks, L. (2021)

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Strategy & Action Plan to Disrupt
Racism in Education

classroom:
● Lack of a Clear & Shared Frameworks to
Norm Practices
● Lack of a Defined Anti-Racism Vision &
Pathway
● Pollack, J., & Pollack, R. (2015)
Recommendation #3

Establish an Accountability Index
for School Leaders
Teachers identified the following
motivational influences impacting their
ability to promote anti-racism:
● Lack of Faith in Leadership

● Luke T. Reinke, Erin Miller, & Tehia S.
Glass, (2021)
● Cabrera, N. L., Franklin, J. D., &
Watson, J. S. (2016)
● Leithwood (1994)

Recommendation #4

Create Structured & Dedicated
Time for Anti-Racism “Scroll
Time”
Teachers identified the following
organizational influences that impact their
ability to practice anti-racism in their
classrooms:
● Enhanced & Deliberate Coaching
● Structured & Pre-planned Time to Focus on
Anti-Racism
● Patel (2022)
● Patel (2022)
● Derman-Sparks, L., LeeKeenan, D., &
Nimmo, J. (2015)

Recommendation #1: Develop a School-Wide Training Program
For anti-bias, anti-racism, and anti-oppression to thrive within a school, teachers must
have a solid grasp of its principles and practices. However, the study revealed that many teachers
rely heavily on social media and conversations with friends rather than seeking structured
professional development or engaging with scholarly resources. This reliance on informal
sources limits their understanding and effectiveness in implementing anti-racist strategies. To
address this, it is crucial to provide teachers with comprehensive and evidence-based training
that equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary for impactful anti-racist work. The
findings and related literature support the recommendation for anti-racism training focusing
exclusively on the 5 Ps of Anti-Racism: Positionality, Pedagogical Application, Praxis, Student
Performance, and Possibility.
1. Positionality: Refers to the lived experiences and identity of the teachers and how it informs
how they see the world, make choices, and respond to it. It also speaks to how their position

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impacts students and orientates their thinking about the implied deficits or strengths of
students of color. Reflecting on positionality calls teachers to recognize that they possess
both privileged and oppressed identities and enables teachers to understand that their
socialization of these identities impacts their teaching and work.
2. Pedagogical Applications: Speaks to the practical applications of anti-racism in context
with their students' curricula, core content, and needs. Research shows teachers need
professional development that is tied directly to their work (Stein et al., 1999) so these wide-
ranging techniques employ anti-racist teaching methodologies to disrupt the hegemonic
systems that exist in education. Teachers can create intentional lesson plans incorporating
anti-racism by integrating pedagogical applications rooted in anti-racism through modeling,
case studies, and readings. Additionally, educators can learn to teach children to use anti-
racist thinking to examine inequities, challenge bias, and notice and name systemic issues
through the use of an age-appropriate curriculum facilitating discussions on race, power, and
privilege. Teachers can delve into the effects and transformations in student experience
agency and learning outcomes by utilizing praxis.
3. Praxis: Freire (1970/2000) insisted that living a life oriented around praxis was radical
because it meant working toward wholeness in a fragmented society—composed of
fragmented selves, fragmented consciousness, and fragmented communities. Teachers can
improve their practice through racial identity development, deepening critical consciousness,
engaging with students, and reflecting upon those interactions to unlearn bias and prejudice
and relearn how to engage with one another free from tools of oppression. Praxis is an
iterative process encompassing knowledge building, action planning, critical reflection,
addressing issues, challenging bias, and implementation. LPS teachers can root their

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reflection in the organizational comprehensive anti-racist change initiatives to norm
reflections.
4. Student performance: Anti-racism work in schools serves as a tool to remove the barriers
and systems intentionally set to keep Black and Brown students disadvantaged. Effective
anti-racist teaching practices can meet students' individual learning needs and foster a
dynamic learning environment that invites them to engage in learning through teaching,
reteaching, and reflective practices. Teachers who use anti-racism as a teaching methodology
should also see increased student learning outcomes by monitoring and evaluating student
performance to ensure all instructional decisions meet the needs of the learners in the
classroom.
5. Possibility: By drawing upon Octavio Butler's (2020) work and other Afro-futurists,
educators can envision a future where oppressive systems are dismantled. It is a radical shift
from the one we currently live in. We can move from seeing "everything we do, everyone we
meet, not through the tactical eyes of war, but through eyes of love... [we would see] there is
complex, ancient, fertile ground full of potential" (Brown, 2017, p. 10). Teachers can, in turn,
embrace the notion of possibility and challenge the limitations often placed upon Black and
Brown students. Possibility thinking is a powerful tool to inspire teachers to foster in both
their students and themselves to shape a more equitable and inclusive world rooted in
creativity, joy, and community. Scheurich and Skrla (2003) suggested that all schools are not
equitable and excellent learning institutions in which all children succeed because educators
do not believe such schools are possible. Envisioning possibilities and perceiving that change
is achievable are necessary and vital precursors to action.

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Derman-Sparks et al. (2015) argue that anti-racism praxis involves (b) the systems-wide
disruption of Whiteness in its making and proliferation: naming and examining Whiteness in
moment-to-moment, daily practices in organizations, the fabric or ideological cement of
institutionalized racism; creating space for ‘counter storytelling,’ using critical race theory
methodology, the centering of alternative meaning-making to counter dominant accounts and to
create space for radical possibilities.
Learning anti-racism pedagogy can positively change the total school experience for
children. Educators can effectively gauge their growth and measure their impact on student
progress and achievement by implementing a comprehensive learning and development plan that
directly connects teacher training to student outcomes. According to Ben et al. (2020), “training
should be tailored to each organization, linked to operational goals, and specifically address
behavior” (p. 207). This intentional learning and development time will provide time to inform
and reflect on curriculum decisions, instructional design, lesson planning, and implementing
effective pedagogical strategies in the classroom. As teachers deepen their understanding of the
politics of the classroom, they will develop expertise in creating an empowering anti-racist
learning environment that addresses issues of race, power, privilege, oppression, and bias while
improving student academic performance.
Still, the findings emphasize the need for sustained and responsive strategies focused on
anti-racism throughout the school year to solidify the educational approach. The study’s results
show that teachers mainly spoke about one or two teaching moves they employed at the
beginning of the year. In contrast, two of them discussed using anti-racism as a lens to lead
lesson design and instructional choices for the curriculum. The goal would be for teachers to use

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daily, weekly, and monthly active strategies to cultivate anti-racist dispositions within students to
support their critical consciousness and academic growth.
Recommendation #2: Visible Whole-School Strategy and Action Plan to Disrupt Racism in
Education
The data strongly suggest that nearly two-thirds of the teachers in the study expressed
dissatisfaction about the lack of cohesion and alignment in the anti-racism initiatives and the
day-to-day work and performance management within the organization. The teachers perceived
anti-racism as an add-on, peripheral activity aimed to help the organization's image rather than a
priority the schools focus on. One teacher even deemed the current anti-racism efforts as
'performative.' The second recommendation is to create a visible whole-school strategy and
action plan focusing on disrupting racism in education to combat the current perception that the
work of anti-racism is unimportant and undervalued by school leadership. According to Kotter's
(1996) change management theory, forming a strategic vision is crucial for generating buy-in and
aligning the organization's future with anti-racism change. Building on this aspect of change
management, the recommendation I propose emphasizes the importance of schools developing a
purpose-driven anti-racist vision that directly aligns with their priorities. Integrating this vision
into the organization's daily operations and protocols is essential in helping teachers see the
connections between their roles, responsibilities, and the broader anti-racist goals of the
organization. Without such a vision, the change objectives can quickly dissolve into a list of
confusing and incompatible projects that can take the organization in the right direction or
nowhere at all (Kotter, 1996). In discussing the importance of powerful vision, Nimmo et al.
(2021) assert that every decision an equity program leader makes must keep the long-term social
justice vision and mission in the foreground while managing the immediate day-to-day issues.

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Leaders need to ensure that the anti-racism vision is visible. The plan is seen, shared, and
sustained by a thoughtful, emergent strategy (Brown, 2017), emphasizing outcomes rooted in
data and evidence-based practices to target the growth of stakeholders who need it the most.
Each school's vision is built from the region-wide anti-racist initiatives and is constructed to
speak to the exact needs of the community the school serves. The vision becomes the anchor
teachers use to guide the anti-racist initiatives and plans within their classrooms. Moreover,
designing and implementing a clear and comprehensive vision guides the specific scope and
sequence of anti-racism work throughout the school year. It serves as the north star for mapping
and addressing systemic barriers, uprooting systemic barriers to student achievement, and
holding all community members accountable for their anti-racist commitments. A shared vision
and strategic plan will help align curricular choices and decision-making and foster a shared
direction amongst all school community members.
The payoffs of a successful shared anti-racist vision appear to be a grounding factor for
cultivating teachers’ commitment to anti-racism (Lawrence, 2005). While multiple levels of
support are needed, a strong vision is needed to drive change (Rosenblum et al., 1994). After
establishing a vision, schools can leverage it as a catalyst to construct frameworks and tools that
empower all school leaders to cultivate an environment of shared norms and practices creating
the conditions needed for teachers to follow through with their commitment to anti-racism
(Lawrence, 2005). By establishing these shared frameworks rooted in a clear vision, the school
community can collectively move towards a shared understanding and commitment to
dismantling racism and fostering equity through anti-bias work; it has the propensity to empower
teachers, especially since research has “shown that the school or organizational context highly
influences teacher development” (Lawrence, 2005, p. 351). When teachers observe that the

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actions of the school leadership and organization stem from the anti-racism priorities, this can
impact their efficacy and internalization of the anti-racism vision. It will also signal a total and
absolute commitment to disrupting systems of oppression and systemic barriers that inhibit the
growth of Black and Brown students nationally.
Recommendation #3: Establish an Accountability Index
School principals are poised to influence teacher commitment to change via the school
climate that their leadership can help create (Leithwood et al., 1994). Teacher training and
development are necessary and impactful. Still, research by Lawrence (2005) says, “Teacher
commitment acquired through professional development would be strengthened in situations
where conditions of schooling are favorable for change and weakened where conditions are
unfavorable” (p. 351). Meaning teachers need an environment where the conditions of change
inspire trust and application of the learning from training and development; therefore, it is
essential to address the environmental factors that influence teacher commitment and create a
school climate and culture where anti-racism is felt and embodied. Lawrence, 2005 says:
“Seldom do studies of multicultural professional development examine school context or
interactions among school personnel as factors that influence teachers’ commitment to,
and implementation of, multicultural practices learned during professional development”
(p. 350).
Unsurprisingly, she found that support from administrators played a key role in whether these
educators had sustained their efforts over time.
Consistent with the literature, this study found that when assessing teachers' perceptions
of organizational and motivational influences, teachers consistently spoke about their diminished
faith in leadership and the perceived lack of accountability for leaders in specific organizational

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positions. Khushal (2021) states: "Placing the onus on leaders in building school climates that
address, disrupt, and build a proactive stance against racism is pivotal to change" (p. 2).
Therefore, the recommendation is to establish an 'Accountability Index' to ensure robust
mechanisms for fostering accountability in anti-racism efforts within school leadership. This
index would serve as a comprehensive tool to assess and monitor the effectiveness of
organizational leadership in promoting and supporting anti-racist practices. By delving into the
roles and responsibilities of leaders, it aims to illuminate how their actions, perspectives, and
dispositions impact the work of others who report to and work with them.
A leader's presence and work either contribute to or hinder the progress of anti-racism
initiatives. This impact can be conscious or unconscious. Especially since leadership is a
relational interaction, "it has proven particularly useful to conceive leadership not as individual
action, but as a dynamic relationship between leaders and members" (Roth, 2022, p. 541). Each
layer of influence within an organization promotes and sustains the anti-racism vision and
mission. The index can establish accountability and drive anti-racist initiatives and outcomes. It
can serve as one measure to ensure LPS leaders are accountable for their anti-racist goals. Lastly,
it creates a cohesive organizational culture that uses checks and balances to ensure the work of
anti-racism moves forward.
Additionally, the recommended index will ensure that all stakeholders within the
organization are held accountable for promoting the anti-racist initiatives for the year. Schools
can adopt and refine 'McREL's Nine Leadership Responsibilities with a Focus on Data' (James-
Ward et al., Joy, 2015) to explicitly emphasize the values of anti-racist leadership. By employing
an accountability index like this, leaders can assess progress using a combination of complex
data, such as a decrease in absences and disciplinary actions, as well as soft data, which includes

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qualitative information about student learning. McREL’s list suggests the following leadership
responsibilities:
1. Change Agent—Is willing to challenge and actively challenges the status quo
2. Culture—Fosters shared beliefs and a sense of community and cooperation
3. Input—Involves teachers in the design and implementation of important decisions and
policies
4. Knowledge of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment —Is knowledgeable about current
curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices
5. Resources—Provides teachers with materials and professional development necessary for the
successful execution of their jobs
6. Monitoring/ Evaluating—Monitors the effectiveness of school practices and their impact on
student learning
7. Outreach—Is an advocate and spokesperson for the school to all stakeholders
8. Discipline—Protects teachers from issues and influences that would detract from their
teaching time or focus
9. Flexibility—Adapts their leadership behavior to the needs of the current situation and is
comfortable with dissent.
Finally, the index emphasizes the collective nature of anti-racism work using data and
evaluation. It underscores the importance of holding leaders accountable for setting a positive
tone, cultivating a climate of trust, actively seeking, and incorporating feedback, utilizing anti-
bias and anti-oppression tools in communication, and advancing equity. More importantly, the
index extends accountability to all stakeholders within the system, recognizing leadership's
critical role in upholding and promoting anti-racist principles, as corroborated by existing

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literature (Alvarado et al., 1999; Lawrence & Krause, 1996). When teachers observe the
collective and transparent accountability measures employed within and across the region with
leaders to advance anti-racist initiatives, it can serve as a powerful motivator for them to reflect
on their accountability and reevaluate how they are fostering a sense of responsibility towards
the students in their classrooms. Witnessing accountability in action inspires teachers to examine
their practices, beliefs, and actions critically and consider how they can be more accountable in
promoting equitable learning outcomes for their students.
Recommendation #4: Create Structured and Dedicated Time for Anti-Racism “Scroll
Time”
A recurring theme from the interviews was teachers expressing a strong desire for
dedicated time to grapple with the complexities of race, power, privilege, and oppression. They
sought time for reflection and emphasized the need for a structured and prioritized time within
the school day. Extensive research demonstrates that school leaders have a unique role in
influencing and guiding their school communities toward increased awareness and
responsiveness to issues of race and racism (Derman-Sparks et al., 2015, p. 8). Recognizing the
influential position of school leaders, it becomes imperative for them to demonstrate their
commitment to anti-racism by intentionally designing structures and systems that foster and
support anti-racist practices within the school. According to Derman-Sparks et al. (2015):
Anti-bias leaders provide the necessary time, space, resources, support, and facilitation
for teachers and other staff to be part of the process of change. They build a community
of learners that enables everyone to explore and grapple with anti-bias issues (p. 43).
Thus, school leaders must activate their power to design the use of time, space, and resources
and support in ways that reinforce the anti-racism philosophical stance. These are leaders who

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understand the role they play in ensuring anti-racism lives in their schools. At LPS, school
leaders can allocate dedicated blocks of time, "scroll time," to provide comprehensive coaching,
training, and professional development support. Just as scrolling through the internet allows us to
explore vast information, literature, and resources, teachers need dedicated time to "scroll"
through the wealth of anti-racist literature, training programs, and tools. This metaphor
highlights the importance of carving out time within the school day for teachers to engage in
continuous learning and growth.
By providing structured time and resources, school leaders can support teachers in
exploring and incorporating anti-racist practices into their classrooms. This investment in
coaching, training, and development creates a supportive environment where teachers can
acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to effectively address race, power, and
privilege issues in their classrooms in a more formalized and structured fashion.
Limitations and Delimitations
One limitation of the study was the inability to independently validate participants'
answers, which may be subject to bias. Participants may have been inclined to provide socially
desirable responses or to please the researcher, despite being informed of the importance of
honest feedback. Additionally, due to the study's focus on teachers' self-reported anti-racist
practices, I cannot verify the implementation of these practices in the classroom, which is beyond
the scope of this study and would require independent observations. Moreover, the current
political climate and increased workload due to COVID-19 policies may have impacted teachers'
willingness to participate or to provide honest feedback. To mitigate this, I offered a ten-dollar
gift card to Amazon as compensation for participants' time and energy. However, the small

156
sample size of twelve participants, which is a delimitation of the study, may limit the
generalizability of the findings to the larger population of teachers at Liberation Public Schools.
The study's interview questions were designed to elicit specific information about
teachers' understanding of anti-racism, their training needs, and the implementation process at
the school. However, the interview questions also included assumptions about the participants'
baseline knowledge and understanding of anti-racism. The interview design included
unstructured questions about the factors that shaped the respondents' careers, which provided
insight into their motivations, knowledge, and organizational influences to compensate for these
assumptions. Finally, I mitigated potential biases and designed the study's interview questions to
elicit relevant information.
In addition to the limitations listed above, a delimitation is the study’s focus on a single
stakeholder group, namely teachers. While teachers are critical in implementing anti-racist
practices in the classroom, incorporating the perspectives of other stakeholder groups such as
administrators, students, and parents would provide a more comprehensive understanding of
anti-racist practices within the school system. Nevertheless, the KMO framework utilized in this
study can identify organizational influences, compensating for the absence of administrator
perspectives. Additionally, I decided to limit the study to teachers who have attended at least one
anti-racist workshop sponsored by the organization, excluding newer team members who have
not been exposed to these concepts. This delimitation may impact the range of feedback received
and limit the generalizability of the study's findings. Despite these delimitations, the study's
findings can still be used to engage teachers in anti-racist work and support their development to
combat racism effectively. Future studies could explore the perspectives of other stakeholder
groups and include a broader range of participants to build on the current findings.

157
Areas for Future Research
Teachers play a crucial role in establishing inclusive and equitable learning
environments. In 1995, the groundbreaking work of Gloria Ladson-Billings and William F. Tate
IV introduced critical race theory as an analytical tool to understand inequities in schools,
shedding new light on the role of racism within educational systems. It is widely recognized
among educational and academic scholars that race is a significant factor contributing to school
inequality. Unlike approaches focused solely on reducing prejudice, anti-racism seeks to
dismantle oppressive systems and structures perpetuating inequality (Blakeney, 2005). This
distinctive approach emphasizes the intersections of power, racism, and equity (Rinke et al.,
2021), examining the connections between different forms of oppression (DeRosa, 2001). While
many teachers are eager to become anti-racism practitioners, they often lack guidance on
effectively integrating these concepts into their classrooms and pedagogical practices.
Longitudinal studies investigating pedagogical teaching moves that support teachers in activating
their commitment to anti-racism are crucial, especially considering the increasing prevalence of
racial incidents in schools nationwide, according to "few studies focused on the anti-racist
actions that teachers develop and deploy on the ground in their professional work" (Arneback E,
& Jamte. J, 2022). Furthermore, Lynch et al. (2017) asserts that even if researchers in the field
debate the need for anti-racist action, they "typically do not offer descriptions of what such
transformation looks like" (p.135). More research must be done in this area to help fill the gap.
Conclusion
In this study, the investigation centered around how Liberation Public School (LPS)
could support teachers in becoming effective anti-racist practitioners who integrate anti-racist
pedagogical strategies into their teaching methodology. A specific stakeholder goal was

158
established: By 2024, LPS teachers would implement anti-racist tools, strategies, and practices to
combat racism in their classrooms and schools. The theoretical framework used in the study was
Rueda's (2011) dimensions of improving performance, which include knowledge, motivation,
and organization (KMO). The study identified the barriers and assets teachers possessed within
these dimensions to determine the support needed to bridge the gap between their commitment to
anti-racism and their ability to activate that commitment consistently. The findings of this
qualitative study indicate that while teachers are utilizing their knowledge about anti-racism,
they desire more consistent and dedicated support from the organization.
Additionally, the findings (lack of faith in school leadership) shed light on the critical
role administration plays in shaping teacher perceptions, organizational support, and their
commitment to anti-racism. This study underscores organizations and their leaders' influence on
creating a robust anti-racist environment that fosters teachers' knowledge, motivation, and
organizational support to disrupt racism and drive change. Reinke et al. (2021) state that
"students are placed under the microscope and critiqued, yet faculty in positions of influence are
not included, or worse, it is believed they do not need to be pushed about issues of …ally
development" (p. 4).
Anti-racism research suggests that it is not enough to have leaders reflect on their social
identities; anti-racism pedagogy demands that leaders recognize how their identities and
intersecting identities "can have an impact" on their work. Anti-racism work is "not a ready-
made product" that one can implement and check off as complete, but "a process that begins with
[leaders] and continues as they apply the anti-racist analysis into their activities and interactions"
(Kishimoto, 2018, p. 542). A hallmark of this work requires leaders to decenter authority, not to
remove themselves from the responsibilities of leadership but to lean into anti-racist leadership

159
that is more concerned with the impact of their leadership on the work and the people they are
responsible for.
This research study, titled "America Has a Problem," emphasizes the need for schools to
address the long-standing issue of racial inequality in education by actively implementing anti-
racism theory and pedagogy in their classrooms. Beyond superficial additions, it requires a
fundamental transformation of systems, curriculum, and daily operations. Kinloch (2018)
conceptualized anti-racism teaching as a “necessary disruption.” Helping teachers
understand how they teach, what they teach, why, and whom they teach avoids reducing the work
to a ‘strategy’ or ‘method,’ especially since anti-racist pedagogy is rooted in critical theory
(Blakeney, 2005). Once the organizational conditions are set, teachers can fully embrace their
commitment to anti-racist practices; there is the potential for a significant paradigm shift in how
schools address racial inequities in the total student experience.
LPS can significantly improve the effectiveness of their teachers' anti-racism practice and
approach by effectively implementing the recommendations in this research. In doing so, the
teachers at LPS will become a powerful force in ensuring their classrooms are equitable and
inclusive. More importantly, teachers will be empowered to engage students in "provocative
thinking" (Ladson-Billings, 1999, p. 22) that teaches them to name, recognize, notice, and
challenge patriarchal and hegemonic structures in their communities, preparing them to be global
citizens capable of dealing with the challenges of the 21st century fully empowered by their
intellectual leadership abilities. For education to "count as education, it must provide for an
enlargement and deepening of experience' (Thompson, 2997, p. 15). That can only happen for
students if teachers are strategically prepared and equipped with the necessary mindsets,
instructional methodologies, tools, and critical thinking skills to promote critical consciousness

160
and intentionally practice anti-racist pedagogy in the classroom.

161
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Appendix A
Pre-Screener Questionnaire

Name

Email

What grade do you teach?

1. Are you a teacher at Liberation Public Schools?
2. Have you attended at least one anti-racist workshop offered at LPS?
3. What school do you work at? (Drop-down menu of school will be offered)
4. How long have you been a teacher at LPS?
5. How long have you worked as a teacher?
6. How do you identify? (Gender, race/ ethnicity)
7. Do you feel comfortable sharing about your teaching journey at LPS?

Are you interested in participating in a 60- minute interview to ask you questions about
what teachers need to practice anti-racism in the classroom? *Participants will receive a
$10 gift card to Amazon.

184
Appendix B
Interview Protocol

Date & Time

Interviewer

Interviewee
(pseudonym)

School Site

I am very grateful for your participation in this research. Your insights and points of view will help me
understand the research problem, while helping the organization grow. The interview length will be 60-
minutes with four main sections with a series of structured questions. The interview will also include
other questions not listed, reflecting the answers or insights you bring up.

Before we get started, I would like to share with you the purpose of this research to understand how
Liberation Public Schools can support teachers practicing anti-racism in the classroom. The research
seeks to understand why teachers have a high commitment to anti-racism but report lower confidence
when they have to put their skills into practice. The study aims to gain insight into that organizational
challenge. As a researcher and consultant with LPS, I bring a set of assumptions and biases into this work.
However, I have incorporated validity and credibility strategies to mitigate my biases impacting the
research findings. You may be tempted to tell me what you think I want to hear, but I assure you that
doing that will not support the study. Please do your best to tell me about your experience, understanding,
observations, and personal needs. Doing so will ensure that LPS will create supports that reflect your
actual needs. Just as you would ask your students for authentic and transparent feedback, I am asking the
same of you. Finally, your information will be redacted from the study to ensure confidentiality and
anonymity. A pseudonym will be used to protect you.

The research will follow the highest ethical guidelines, allowing you to opt for the interview. Your
participation is voluntary, and you may participate in this survey with complete confidence that your
responses will be confidential. Do I have your permission to record the interview? Your data will be
stored in a secured hard drive with an encrypted password for five years. You will have access to the
survey outcomes and feedback once completed. We are more than happy to answer any questions you
may have. Please email me at sdj44633@usc.edu or by phone at 323-429-XXXX

185
Research questions with the interview questions listed below.

1.) What are teachers’ perceived knowledge needs to address anti-racism in the
classroom?

● What does being an anti-racist teacher mean to you?
● When you think about anti-racist practices in a classroom, what does this look like to you?
● What additional knowledge (formal or informal) do you need to incorporate anti-racist practices
in your classroom effectively?
● How do you learn about anti-racism to incorporate practices in your teaching pedagogy?
● What would better assist you in implementing anti-racist practices in their classrooms?

2.) What motivational factors lead teachers to adopt organization-wide change
goals?
● How confident are you in your ability to adopt organization-wide goals or anti-racist tools?
● What makes you more or less confident?
● What is your process for creating an anti-racist environment and anti-racist experiences in your
classroom?

3.) How do teachers experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or
racism on campus?
● If you experience or witness racism in your classroom or school, who would you most likely call
to ask for help?
● Does anyone on-campus support you with implementing anti-racist practices in your classroom?
If so, who?
● What kinds of additional support do you need when you ask for help/to ask for help?

4.) What support do teachers need from LPS to effectively roll out organization-
wide anti-racist standards?
● What, if anything, should the organization stop doing or continue doing as it pertains to anti-
racism?
● Have you noticed anything (policies or practices) or anyone that may be hindering the
organization from being able to implement anti-racism within and across the organization?
● If you had a magic wand, how would you best help promote anti-racism to teachers across the
network?
● From your perspective, what structures, strategies, and systems need to be in place to sustain this
work?

Closure:

● Thank you for your participation.
● Do I have permission to follow up with you?

186
Name Ms. Queenie Johnson, M.A.

Research Questions:
1. What are teachers’ perceived knowledge needs to address anti-racism in the classroom?
2. What motivational factors lead teachers to adopt organization-wide change goals?
3. How do teachers experience seeking help when they witness injustice, bias, or racism on campus?
4. What support do teachers need from LPS to effectively roll out organization-wide anti-racist
standards?

Interview Questions Concept(s) from CF
What does being an anti-racist teacher mean to you?
● When you think about anti-racist practices in a classroom,
what does this look like to you?
● What additional knowledge (formal or informal) do you
need to incorporate anti-racist practices in your classroom
effectively?
● How do you learn about anti-racism to incorporate
practices in your teaching pedagogy?
● What would better assist you in implementing anti-racist
practices in their classrooms?
Knowledge
How confident are you in your ability to adopt organization-
wide goals or anti racist tools?
● What makes you more or less confident?
● What is your process for creating an anti-racist
environment and anti-racist experiences in your classroom?
Motivation
If you experience or witness racism in your classroom or school,
who would you most likely call to ask for help?
● Does anyone on-campus support you with implementing
anti-racist practices in your classroom? If so, who?
● What kinds of additional support do you need when you
ask for help/to ask for help?
What, if anything, should the organization stop doing or
continue doing as it pertains to anti-racism?
● Have you noticed anything (policies or practices) or
anyone that may be hindering the organization from being
able to implement anti-racism within and across the
organization?
● If you had a magic wand, how would you best help
promote anti-racism to teachers across the network?
● From your perspective, what structures, strategies, and
systems need to be in place to sustain this work?

Organization

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Asset Metadata

Creator Johnson, Shaquanda (Queenie) (author)

Core Title America has a problem: helping charter school teachers build a new foundation to combat racism with anti-racist teaching pedagogy

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Global Executive

Degree Conferral Date 2023-08

Publication Date 08/25/2023

Defense Date 07/19/2023

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag anti-racism,anti-racism in the classroom,anti-racist education,anti-racist teaching pedagogy,charter school teachers,committing to anti-racism,OAI-PMH Harvest

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Creator Email hellomsqueenie@gmail.com,sdj44633@usc.edu

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