Teachers' work is inherently political at both the interpersonal and structural levels. Yet, now, many teachers are under state-sanctioned and local pressure to be apolitical. Moreover, many teachers are citing feelings of political attack as a significant driver in their decisions to stay or leave the teaching profession, even as the US faces…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the factors Vermont rural special educators reported as impacting their persistence and what institutional barriers and supports they identified as needing. The complexities and challenges experienced by all teachers, special educators, rural teachers, and rural special educators informed the…

This three-article dissertation presents a perspective of K-12 educator advocacy for the education profession within the context of the United States. Each article involves educators' perceptions of advocacy for the education profession. The first article is a systematic scoping review. This article analyzes the literature written on educator…

The three articles that comprise this dissertation examine different ways that current teachers can express leadership outside of their classrooms, through labor activity and within-school instructional leadership. I use descriptive and quasi-experimental quantitative analysis to examine which teachers take on these roles, their effectiveness, the…

This historical study examines how the Boston Teachers' Union responded to the ever-changing complexities of urban education in the years 1980-2010. Using sociohistorical methods along with loose-coupling theory, it details the union's relationship with other decision-making sectors within the school district and the state, as well as documenting…

Collective bargaining agreements are documents used by unionized workers to outline the scope of their job role and in many educational settings are perceived as a hindrance to improving teacher quality and thus student performance. The problem addressed by this study was that the restrictions of the collective bargaining agreement impede the time…

This dissertation explores the complex dynamics and conflicts surrounding the privatization of public school services in New Jersey. Through detailed case studies of multiple New Jersey towns, this dissertation examines how local school districts, grappling with funding challenges, consider outsourcing educational support professional roles to cut…

The question of undergraduate labor organizing has been debated by scholars since the 2016 "Columbia" decision, which now includes undergraduates. Scholars view rhetoric and composition analysis centered on students as writers and scholars, but this project shows that the field is not getting the full picture of student labor movements.…

The Dissertation in Practice was conducted as a collaborative group as required by the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program. Although researchers have established the benefits of principals of color, there is a stark shortage in the pipeline, much of which is because of the oppressive experiences they have in K-12 education as leaders. In…

This study attempted to understand the school principal's perception about the characteristics, attitudes and behaviors of teachers who may be operating on the fringes of proficient performance. In addition, this study attempted to understand if the demographics of the school principal and the school could play a role in the type of…

This qualitative study compares four public school districts in a state to investigate how "Next Generation Science Standards"-aligned, three-dimensional science classroom teaching and learning in biology classrooms could become normal, instead of exceptional. Interview data were collected through two rounds of interviews -- one year…

Myanmar has been undertaking education reforms since 2012. Tensions have arisen between central-level policymakers and teachers' union leaders regarding the implementation of some reforms. While this give-and-take between policymakers and teacher activists has been reported somewhat in the news media, the academic literature on these developments…

Women comprise half of the world's population but less than half of the paid workforce, less than half of organized workers, and far less than half of union leadership positions. Women benefit from union membership by enjoying a smaller gender wage gap than women without union representation. Unionized teachers enjoy higher salaries and better…

This qualitative oral study study's primary purpose is to elicit, preserve, and explore personal stories from individuals who participated in the April 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout. The study also builds understanding of narrators' experiences of the events surrounding the Walkout. In addition, as supported by oral history methodology, the…

Nationally, there is a mounting interest in better understanding students identified as having an emotional disturbance. Since 2005, clinical diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in children has trended upward. Nationally, over that same timeframe, the number of students who qualify for special education due to an emotional disturbance…