Poster - #VH-99385 - Keywords: achievement gaps, state takeovers, dissolved districts, policy, reform,

An Examination of Teachers’ Perceptions of State Governance in Urban Schools: A Qualitative Study

Marsha A. Lewis, EdD
Sanford College of Education National University

ABSTRACT:
I chose this topic after attending a few professional conferences and meeting people who always wanted to know more about the state takeover in my city. I found work by Dr. Kang focused on the area I lived in. Some asked because it was a national discussion, but others were experiencing or had also experienced similar outcomes where they lived. This happened at more than one event, and I realized I did not know much but wanted to know more about state takeovers and so this research was inspired and born
Throughout this research citations are provided which helped me to see the larger context in which the problem exists. The urgency of the nationwide reforms in education, particularly in inner-city schools, is a critical issue that continues to escalate in the United States (Cohen, 2021). The impact of these reforms, such as school closures, decreased enrollment, and low teacher retention, is a pressing concern for school districts nationwide (Khalifa, 2018). Therefore, this study, which will delve into teachers’ perceptions and experiences of school takeovers, a process where external entities assume control of a school or district, is of utmost importance in understanding and addressing these challenges.
This research examined how learning and teaching, not preparation for exams or graduation, is the primary goal of education (Muhammad, 2023). Examining teachers’ perceptions of education reforms for marginalized students was needed Research, policy, and legislation have continued to add to this broken system, starting with local government and eventually state takeover, further adding to school closures and charter school infusions (Khalifa et al., 2019).
Other research that has been done on this topic where an estimated 22 states have experienced district takeovers since 1988. These districts span the continental US and primarily affect students of color and low socio-economic status in urban and rural communities (Scheduler & Bleiberg, 2021). The districts also showed a loss of teachers in state-run districts (Henry et al., 2020). Books on the reforms and the role of district leadership in state takeovers of K-12 education continue to be seen in marginalized districts (Williams, 2019). This study aimed to review the work of researchers on educational reforms and how these reforms have contributed to academic policies and misalignments (Khalifa et al., 2019). The rationale for the study was to incorporate teacher motivation and how policy and reforms have affected student outcomes because of teacher retention and perceptions (Kang, 2020). The study was logical in addressing how education governance has led to reform performances and hopes to determine teachers' perceptions of these districts (Williams, 2019).