Fighting on All Fronts: The Push, Pull, and Persistence of Social Justice Educators and the Move to Reimagine Teacher Preparation

This study investigated the factors that pushed and pulled social justice educators out of urban elementary and secondary (K–12) schools and into teacher education. The authors utilized an autoethnography and counternarrative methodology to examine the systemic and distinct factors that impacted four social justice educators’ decisions to leave K–12 schools. Two central categories emerged: neoliberal K–12 push factors and pull factors that lured educators into academia. The study also revealed K–12 persistence strategies and describes the way educators reimagine their work in teacher education. It is imperative to learn how educators are maintaining their commitment to social justice on all fronts.