UC Davis

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted and transformed public education and revealed deeply embedded inequities within educational systems. The unpredictable shift to virtual learning exposed these disparities, illuminating the need for innovative, student-centered educational approaches. This dissertation examines how Black educators who adhere to progressive values navigate the relationship between race, pedagogy, and democratic education to develop and maintain their praxis. Employing a qualitative methodology, this study involved preliminary data collection through three "Anti-Racist Happy Hours" in 2020-2021, which analytically functioned as focus groups and shaped the developed research questions and research design. In-depth semi-structured interviews with Black progressive educators were conducted via Zoom and analyzed using a grounded thematic approach. The "Anti-Racist Happy Hour" data included a thematic content analysis of guiding session materials and the participant dialogue in the Zoom chat. This data was further supplemented by reflection surveys completed via Qualtrics. The methodological framework enabled a comprehensive exploration of how Black educators' motivations for progressive practices are deeply embedded in their racialized K-12 experiences while acknowledging that they engage in a standard set of progressive values -- remaining student-centered, developing familial relationships, and prioritizing community engagement -- which are adoptable by any educator committed to equity. Moreover, this work identifies gaps in progressive educators' professional development (PD) and illuminates their leadership capacity to employ their expertise to mitigate gaps in their growth. This highlights the importance of school districts and administrations considering internal candidates with the expertise to mentor and develop educators dedicated to progressive practices. Furthermore, this study indicates that progressive educators need additional opportunities for critical professional development and desire the freedom to select PD programs to enhance their praxis. As the public education system transitions back to in-person learning and prepares for future disruptions, this work serves as a timely and substantive insight, offering practical recommendations and toolkits for developing leadership capacities and fostering collective action despite unprecedented obstacles.