Volume 20, Issue 2 (2025) The Time is Now: Justice, Equity, and Relational Ways of Being

We are honored to publish six pieces that speak to justice, equity, and relational ways of being in educational spaces, particularly in this time. Barnett-Perry details the conceptualizations and experiences of teacher candidates carrying out anti-abelist pedagogies (A-AP). The author asks, “How do TCs navigate issues of power and relationship (in the figured world) of their current classroom/school?” and “How do TCs anticipate encountering challenges or opportunities in their future classroom to implement their commitments to anti-ableist pedagogy?” Koerber and Fasching-Varner’s quantitative study seeks to understand paraprofessionals’, in-service and preservice teachers’ perceptions of cultural competency. Utilizing Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) as a theoretical framework, the authors ask participants to explore and reflect on their awareness, knowledge, and skills as they pertain to cultural competency. RunningHawk, Black, and Tom delve into the Culturally Responsive Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CRESCENT) Program which aims to support students through educational transitions that limit under-represented minority student engagement and advancement into STEM careers. They speak to the importance of the CRESCENT program’s centering of relationships and support during the incredibly challenging 2020-2021 academic year. Wang and Lu explore the connection between preservice teachers’ early writing memories with their studies in writing instruction. Through their case study design, they identify four themes that speak to the transformative power of writing and how these experiences influence pedagogical beliefs and practices. Herb discusses the importance of soliciting student voice in order to cultivate learning environments that are democratic, inclusive, empathetic, and empowering. The author pushes this further in demonstrating the necessity of interacting with students’ input and feedback with thoughtfulness and intentionality. And finally, Ware & Stokes explore the ways school curricula reflect the historical and cultural diversity of the nation and its student population. Their study adds texture to the ways students see themselves in their curricula, and how that supports their overall engagement.

Thank you to our reviewers and authors for your thoughtfulness, insights, and brilliance in helping to create this powerful issue.