“We're making gains, but could always be doing more”: examining teacher and principal perspectives on organizational change toward racial equity in an urban charter school network

In 2020, in part because of the increased visibility of the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations, including school districts, amplified their focus on work related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Since then, given the heightened attention on issues related to racism, oppression, and inequity, a new focus on academic recovery, and the increase of attacks on efforts associated with DEI at local, state, and federal levels, school districts that are committed to DEI are at a unique point in time. This dissertation aims to understand how school districts navigate the complexities of organizational change efforts toward racial equity. More specifically, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study is to explore teacher and principal perspectives on organizational change toward racial equity. Through one-on-one interviews with teachers and principals at a large urban Mid-Atlantic charter school district, Future Forward Charter Schools (FFCS): Capital City, this study sought to provide insight into how school staff understand and participate in their charter school network’s attempts at organizational change toward racial equity. By applying organizational change research and frameworks to the work of school systems, this study hopes to combine multiple disciplines to ultimately understand how school districts can more effectively engage in organizational change efforts toward racial equity. Finally, given FFCS: Capital City’s unique racial demographics as a school system with majority Black school leader, teacher, and student populations, this research provides additional insight into how schools can create change toward racial equity within this particular context at a unique point in history.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Tersy, Marisa Anais

Contributors dc:contributor

• Pak, Yoon
• Hale, Jon
• Mason, Curtis
• Nelson, Jennifer

• racial equity
• organizational change
• teleological change
• charter schools
• public schools
• education

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Marisa Tersy

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129572

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129572