Criticalizing Teacher Perceptions of Urban School Climate: Exploring the Impact of Racism and Race-Evasive Culture in a Predominantly White Teacher Workforce

This study seeks to critically examine perceptions of urban school climate from a predominantly white teacher workforce and discuss the role that white identity, as the Dominant culture, plays in maintaining the status quo of racialized school climate. Participants included 145 teachers from a large southwestern urban setting. Teachers’ perceptions were measured by the Teacher Perceptions of Urban School Climate survey that includes six dimensions that are important aspects of urban school climate: (1) Leadership, Relationality, and Care, (2) Perceptions of Security and Safety, (3) Student Belonging, (4) Constructivist Teacher Practice, (5) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and (6) Educator Retention. Results indicate that elementary school teachers had more positive perceptions of urban school climate and beginning teachers were less positive about aspects of urban school climate. Implications stemming from the results are discussed including the role whiteness and racism play in teacher perceptions of urban school climate and teacher education.