“I’m Not Wanting to be a Martyr”: Learning from Latina Educator Activists in Chicago Public Schools During COVID-19

I center the experiences of four Latina educators working in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to learn about their activism amidst the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a storying methodological approach (San Pedro, Res Teach Engl 50(2):132–153, 2015; San Pedro & Kinloch, Am Educ Res J 54(15):373S–394S, 2017), this project is guided by the following research question: How were Latina educator activists organizing around justice-based issues during the pandemic? The findings of this study highlight how the lack of support and respect from CPS’s top-down management approach shaped the activism participants engaged in ? particularly in their use of mutual aid to advocate for the communities they serve. Moreover, as active members of the Chicago Teachers Union, participants sustained their activism through the support they received from their union and the solidarity and joy forged with their students and each other. This study builds upon existing knowledge of Latina teacher activists by highlighting the critical role their identities, experiences, and expertise play in understanding how policy impacts them and how they shape policy through their activism.