Linking arms across districts: Accountability and support in cross-district teacher collaboration

Abstract

ABSTRACT The violent police response to uprisings in response to the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor unveiled who America is for our students. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the politicization of schools and exacerbated inequality in schools already segregated by class and race. Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, students navigated our nation’s deepest divides. Teachers engaged in antiracist and equity activism in schools experience teacher burnout, isolation, and ultimately heartbreak when not supported by their school community. In this article, we look at critical connections teachers made across districts in the same geographic area, across segregated schools to collaborate to investigate white supremacy culture in themselves, their schools, and the education system. We wonder, “How can educators, schools, and organizations leverage this moment of opportunity for change and critical mass of support without losing momentum as seen in the past?” We focus on the actions and practices of 2 teachers in central Ohio schools to answer this question with respect to their classrooms, schools, and communities.