You Can't Avoid the Politics: Lessons for Teacher Education From a Case Study of Teacher-Initiated Tracking Reform:

A growing literature articulates the need to educate preservice teachers as effective agents of change in pursuit of more democratic schools and social reform. This literature, often referred to as the social reconstructionist perspective in teacher education (see Liston & Zeichner, 1987, 1991; Zeichner, 1986, 1993), has been instrumental in bringing such important concepts as reflective teaching, action research, and critical pedagogy to teacher preparation. A central goal of this perspective and related programs is to develop teachers who will analyze and critique their educational practice in relation to the structure of schooling and society and have the skills and motivation to pursue equity and justice in schools and society. Democratic school reform must include at its center the work of critically reflective, inquiry-oriented, activist teachers. This is very much at the heart of Giroux's notion of teachers as transformative intellectuals (Giroux, 1985b, 1987, 1988; Giroux & McLaren, 1986) and the literatures about teachers as researchers and critical pedagogists (see Adler, 1991; Brubacher, Case, & Reagan, 1994; Bullough, 1989; Copeland, Birmingham, De La Cruz, & Lewin, 1993; Fueyo & Koorland, 1997; Giroux, 1985a, 1988; Gore & Zeichner, 1991; Goswami & Stillman, 1987; Hatton & Smith, 1995; Hollingsworth & Sockett, 1994; Kanpol, 1994; Ross, 1989a, 1989b; Shor, 1987, 1992; Simon, 1992; Smith, 1994; Tabachnik & Zeichner, 1991; Zeichner, 1989; Zeichner & Liston, 1987). In this article, I present the experience of teachers who initiated tracking reform in their school, an action that generated substantial debate and conflict in their community. This conflict illuminates key challenges and issues many teachers may encounter as they work for educational and social change. It implies important concerns and directions for teacher education and demonstrates the significance of local politics and culture for educational reform efforts. The Case Study This case focuses on the experiences of a group of science teachers at Chandler High School (a pseudonym) in a small city in upstate New York that has a university and a college. Chandler has slightly over 1,600 students (81% European American, 8% African American, 7% Asian, 3% Latino, 1% Native American) from rural and city areas. The teachers have worked together during the last 3 years to improve how they group and instruct students in physics, earth science, biology, and chemistry. Four of the teachers are male and two are female; all are European American with teaching experience ranging from 2 to 10 years. The study is based on in-depth interviews with the six centrally involved teachers, conversations with relevant school people and community members, observations of public meetings pertaining to the reform effort, and documentation of the extensive debate and discussion in the local media. I qualitatively analyzed all materials, particularly the interviews, to identify patterns and themes grounded in and reflective of the teachers' experience. I used standard qualitative methodology exemplified in the work of many scholars (Bogdan & Biklen, 1992; Erlandsen, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993; Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Silverman, 1993; Strauss & Corbin, 1990; Whyte, 1991; Yin, 1994). My objectives were to understand the teachers' experiences from their perspective and draw lessons about how to better prepare preservice teachers to engage effectively in the work of educational and social reform. I use letter designations after quotations from teachers to indicate individuals. The teachers in the study reviewed a draft of this article and provided feedback and editorial suggestions to ensure an accurate portrayal of their perspective and provided additional information through a reflective activity and follow-up conversation. At the heart of the teachers' efforts was an interest in providing more effective science instruction for a diverse group of students. …