Applying the CEE Position Statement "Beliefs about Social Justice in English Education" to Classroom Praxis

Overview & Synopsis

The 19 individuals who gathered at Elmhurst College in the summer of 2009 to work on moving social justice theory into policy in English education had a singular goal--to codify a working framework for social justice in English education that could disrupt inequitable educational practices and empower all students to reach their potential thresholds. The result of the work of the Social Justice Strand of the Conference on English Education was the "Beliefs about Social Justice in English Education." This article takes aspects of the statement and illuminates how seven English teacher educators apply and interpret the "Beliefs" statement in their university courses. These pieces reflect their best attempt to illuminate how the application of the "Beliefs" statement to different English education courses and NCATE assessments can push critical social justice practice and standards forward in their field. They recognize that enactment of the ideas in this document by additional English teacher educators, and the resulting accumulation of a larger body of social justice research across contexts and university sites, can affect decisions made at the policy level. (Contains 2 notes.)