Teacher Dissent in Neoliberal Times: Counter‐Publics and Alternative‐Publics in Teacher Activism

Abstract

AbstractIn this essay, Terrenda White examines distinct forms of activism by two influential organizations: the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and Teach for America (TFA). Despite differences between these groups, both have created new discourses and alliances among teachers in the public sphere — what White calls “teacher publics.” These new alliances, White argues, can be conceptualized as counter‐publics and alternative‐publics. CTU is a counter‐public because its activities counter the tradition of top‐down insular unionism and embrace “social movement unionism” where teachers are part of an expansive coalition for social transformation, including contesting city and state bureaucracies for adequate resources and equitable practices on behalf of minoritized communities. TFA has also created expansive coalitions for change, embracing a “new professionalism” that rejects public contestations with state leaders for resources. As an alternative‐public, TFA engages a network of private philanthropists and business leaders to generate change in public education through market‐based initiatives that challenge bureaucratic control of teachers and schools and that incentivize competition, audit culture, and data‐driven decision‐making. These two cases, because their approaches to educational change are so different, provide fertile ground for White's evaluation of what new forms of activism mean for the democratic goals of public schools.