The work of racial justice advocacy in the field of education is fraught with responsibility and challenge. The impact of historical racism on social policy within the United States has had an enduring effect in the educational realm, which is maintained in part by the prevailing white supremacy culture (WSC). Recent middle level education…

In middle grades teacher education, the literature regarding issues of diversity, equity, and social justice practices is exceptionally sparse. In keeping with recent arguments about the state of middle grades education, we contend that middle grades teacher education programs, including ours, are not where they need to be in preparing teachers to…

In pursuit of preparing social justice educators, the authors argue for the inclusion of young adolescents and teacher candidates as "boundary-spanning teacher educators" who are both contributors to and recipients of professional knowledge and learning. The authors draw from a qualitative, longitudinal study on the impact of a…