Distracting, Erasing, and Othering: A Critical Analysis of the Teachers Pay Teachers’ Teach for Justice Collection

Abstract

In this article authors Katy Swalwell, Noreen Naseem Rodríguez, Amy Updegraff, and Leslie Ann Winters share findings from their critical content analysis of the free preK–5 resources for antiracist, social justice teaching in the Teachers Pay Teachers’ Teach for Justice collection. Using Picower’s (2012) six elements of social justice curriculum design, as well as guidelines and suggestions offered to content creators in this online curriculum market place, the authors found that the materials in the sample lacked accuracy, avoided clarity, and promoted thin conceptions of social justice and antiracism. They claim that, in general, the collection subverts traditions of social justice and antiracist education by erasing power dynamics, distracting students’ attention away from oppression, and othering BIPOC students. They conclude with a call for educators to avoid the collection and to instead invest in high-quality vetted resources as well as professional development that helps them sharpen their critical capacities around curricular resources.

“Reminds Me How Much You Ought to be Thinking About”: Advancing History Teachers’ Vetting and Adaption of Digital Curriculum Materials

“…With the rapid growth of digital materials have come concerns from many quarters about the lack of quality control. Drawing particular alarm are peer sharing sites like Teachers Pay Teachers that contain limited pedagogical oversight aside from market forces (Harris et al, 2023;Rodríguez et al, 2020;Swalwell et al, 2023). In response, stakeholders across disciplines have introduced assessment rubrics for vetting curriculum materials (e.g., Achieve, 2016;Bryan-Gooden et al, 2019;Coomer et al, 2017;Hu et al, 2019; for a review, see Yuan & Recker, 2015).…”