A Critical Perspective on Teacher Participation in Urban Schools

Abstract

Two discourses inform the discussion of teacher participation: one is administrative, the other participatory; the first is dominant, whereas the latter is incipient. This article apples a critical perspective to review the administrative discourse, surfacing issues it fails to address, and suggesting alteratives that lead us down the critical path. The administrative discourse draws from theories of human relations management, culture, and community building, obscuring hierarchies and power differences. In urban settings, the hierarchies that need to be addressed exist not only within the system and school, but between the school and the neighborhood The alternative, participatory discourse must expand and deepen the concept and practice of democratic participation, addressing not only teachers but students, communities, and system change. Drawing insights from the literature on worker democracy feminism, new movements, and critical educational theory, the article presents the main issues that need to be addressed to apply teacher participation to urban educational reform. These include extending the scope of participation, creating new structures, building supports and networks, and promoting democratic communities across diversity.

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