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Journal of Educational Change

, Volume 13, Issue 1, pp 1–39 | Cite as

New teachers of color and culturally responsive teaching in an era of educational accountability: Caught in a double bind

  • Betty Achinstein
  • Rodney T. Ogawa
Article
First Online:

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine how and to what extent schools’ responses to accountability policies in the United States influence the ability of new teachers of color to draw on their own and their students’ cultural resources to engage in culturally responsive teaching. A 5-year study of 17 new teachers of color reveals that these teachers identified three principal tensions which correspond to the three dimensions of culturally responsive teaching: (a) cultural and linguistic relevance versus standardization, (b) community of learners versus teacher transmission, and (c) social justice versus enhanced test scores. The teachers also described two mechanisms by which accountability-based programs and policies were enforced: fear of monitoring and internalizing the link between testing and educational opportunity. We applied the metaphor of “double bind” to explain the tensions and enforcement mechanisms encountered by these teachers. The “double bind” forced the new teachers of color to enact contradictory systemic demands promoted by government policy and the teaching profession and exacted an individual toll. We conclude with implications for policy, practice, and research.

Keywords

Teachers of color Accountability New teachers Culturally responsive teaching Diversity 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Crown Faculty OfficesUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzUSA
  2. 2.Education DepartmentUniversity of California, Santa CruzSanta CruzUSA

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