ABSTRACT
This case highlights the work of a Spanish-English dual language bilingual school with a racially, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse student community that takes a strong stance on political issues that impact minoritized immigrant families. The school values a critical understanding of power and actively focuses on social justice. This lens permeates all levels of school-based decision-making, including family engagement, curriculum development, and classroom-based practice. Often, this means that teachers take on “controversial” topics, even if it means making some families uncomfortable in the interrogation of white privilege, which often intersects with US citizenship and middle-class socio-economic status. We highlight how this approach manifests itself with one teacher who dealt with parent pushback to a read-aloud. During a time of increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, Mx. B decided to draw upon the experiences of many of their immigrant students in the first-grade classroom to engage in a read-aloud about a child whose parent was being detained. Soon after, they receive a complaint from a white US-born parent who thought this topic was too contentious. The role of the school and Mx. B as a policymaker highlights the importance of directly addressing—rather than shying away from—these critical topics in schools.
