A Call for Change: Disrupting White Supremacy Culture in Dispositional Expectations of Teacher Candidates

Today, in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement and an increased focus on antiracism, P-12 and higher education institutions are engaged in studying practices and resources from an (in)equity lens. This study explores disposition expectations for teacher candidates noted in the form of a rubric drawing on Critical Race Theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture (Okun, 2021) also grounded the study and were used as themes determined a priori. Researchers engaged in document analysis to analyze and code the rubric (Bowen, 2009; Corbin & Strauss, 2007). Findings show evidence of white supremacy culture in dispositional expectations. These findings reveal the need to challenge current expectations for teacher candidates to disrupt the white supremacy culture that permeates teacher education. Implications provide ideas for future research and practices that are flexible, collaborative, and critical.