BECOMING “NO EXCUSES”: LESSONS AND TAKEAWAYS FOR THE FUTURE OF URBAN TEACHING

Abstract

The pursuit to remedy the inequalities in America’s educational system has been a pressing issue for decades. In my thesis, I explore one such method to close the achievement gap through the “no excuses” model of schooling which seeks to get students from marginalized backgrounds to college. I discuss the contexts in which “no excuses” have come to existence as well as the practices that are present in this approach to schooling. In doing so, I examine the disciplining of teachers to take on certain roles within the context of “no excuses.” I conclude by looking to what kinds of practices can be implemented in urban classrooms and schools that could better address the racial and socioeconomic disparities in our education system through a socially just approach to teaching.