Reclaiming agency: Justice-oriented social studies teachers respond to changing curricular standards

Emphases on high-stakes testing and accountability can undermine teachers' ability to use their professional expertise to respond to the localized needs of their students. For justice-oriented teachers, they also create ideological conflicts, as teachers are forced to navigate increasingly prescriptive curricular mandates. In this article, we examine how justice-oriented veteran social studies teachers in the United States use their disciplinary expertise and professional agency to respond strategically to the influence of the Common Core State Standards on their discipline. We conclude by discussing the implications for preparing candidates to teach for social justice in accountability-driven contexts. • Justice-oriented social studies teachers respond strategically to changing mandates. • Teachers' strategies reflect their disciplinary expertise and professional agency. • Teachers embrace, reframe, and resist local impact of changing standards. • Teacher educators should highlight viability of and model justice-oriented agency. • Future research needed about impact of changing mandates on enactment of justice.