Righting the Literacy Teacher Education Debt: A Matter of Justice

Abstract

The literacies of Black and other communities of Color have long been narrated pathologically in literacy teacher education. Literacy teacher educators have been complicit in upholding linguistic injustice and enacting linguistic violence in and through their practices, devaluing the practices, marginalizing the experiences, and interrogating the humanity of Black and other teachers of Color. In this article, extending Ladson-Billings's concept of the education debt, I assess the literacy teacher education debt, unveiling how white English and whiteness in general have been (over)valued and positioned as currency in literacy teacher education. After (re)examining and (re)assessing offenses and harms inflicted by literacy teacher education across historical, economic, sociopolitical, and moral realms, composing the literacy teacher education debt, I take a restorative justice approach and offer an invitation to right literacy teacher education by addressing obligations and committing to healing as a matter of justice.

Apprenticing for Equity Literacy Teaching: A Needed Change in Teacher Education

“…Predicated on the idea that literacy teacher education has been complicit in failing to interrogate whiteness as the norm that drives the way BIPOC students’ languages and literacies are pathologized and undervalued in schools (Souto-Manning, 2021), this work focuses on reconceptualizing literacy education around investigations of equity and inequity in the literacy practicum. Having TCs inquire about equity within literacy practica can foster awareness of how school literacy learning opportunities are inequitably shaped and distributed.…”

“…In addition, “racialized diagnostics and remedial literacy education are permanent fixtures in literacy teacher education programs” (Souto-Manning, 2021, p. 590) that operate to harm children and youth of color. Racialized diagnostics include high-stakes standardized literacy tests based on mastery of academic English that have had detrimental effects on students of color (Rosales & Walker, 2021), including multilingual learners (García & Kleifgen, 2018).…”

“…This study examines the use of the literacy practicum as a central space for developing the critical dispositions required to advocate for students (Feiman-Nemser & Schussler, 2010). The study is based on critical race perspectives within literacy teacher education and schooling (Baker-Bell, 2020; Brown, 2014; Milner, 2008; Picower, 2021; Picower & Kohli, 2017; Souto-Manning, 2021), and a “landscape of practice” framework that considers how TCs evolve in their professional competence (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015).…”

“…Schussler, 2010). The study is based on critical race perspectives within literacy teacher education and schooling (Baker-Bell, 2020;Brown, 2014;Milner, 2008;Picower, 2021;Picower & Kohli, 2017;Souto-Manning, 2021), and a "landscape of practice" framework that considers how TCs evolve in their professional competence (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015).…”

Teacher Education’s Moment: From Solution to Challenge

“…Equity and social justice challenges, inscribed within the founding and fabric of our teacher education programs, are laid bare during these unprecedented times. For example, Souto-Manning (2021) issued a clarion call for literacy teacher preparation programs to rectify their previous collusion in the accrual of educational debt owed to marginalized learners and their families by taking up an abolitionist stance in literacy teacher education. In her work, Souto-Manning questions why, in teacher education programs, we remain complicit in the continuation of racism and asks how we can interrupt the trauma circle inflicted by the field (Kwok et al, 2021; Rios, 2020).…”