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Bailey Tighe Ed.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.
Dissertation Committee:
Emiliano Gonzalez, Ed.D., Committee Chair
Cristy Sugarman, Ed.D., Committee Member
Gary Delanoeye, Ed.D., Committee Member
Keywords
racial equity, white culture, K-12 education, suburban schools, critical ethnography, educator perspectives, culturally relevant pedagogy, predominantly white institutions, whiteness, public education
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This critical ethnographic study examines how white culture influences educators' perceptions of their participation in racial equity work in a predominantly white, suburban Massachusetts public school district. This research explored five educators' experiences through Critical Race, Critical Whiteness, and White Supremacy Culture Frameworks. The study extends CWS by illuminating how white cultural norms operate within institutional contexts, revealing patterns through which racial equity work is neutralized. The study found that superficial equity initiatives, color-evasive language, and prioritizing white comfort over substantive transformation all actively perpetuate inequity. Recommendations directly address these findings: developing comprehensive professional development that explicitly names whiteness and its impacts; creating equity leadership roles with decision-making authority to counter bureaucratic resistance; and implementing systematic approaches to policy review that challenge white cultural dominance. This research contributes insights into how white cultural norms operate within educational institutions, informing more effective approaches to institutional transformation. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).
Recommended Citation
Tighe, B. E. (2025). The Air We Breathe: How Whiteness Permeates Racial Equity Efforts in Suburban Schools. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/1140
Comments
ORCID No. 0009-0005-8584-9146
Bio: Bailey Tighe (she/her) is a white educator and researcher whose work examines racial equity efforts in public education. With over 10 years of classroom teaching experience, she brings practical insights to her scholarship on educational equity and institutional transformation.
Before earning a doctorate in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University, she earned her Master's in Secondary Education from American International College and her Bachelor's from Boston University. Her research interests include Critical Whiteness Studies and anti-racist pedagogy.
As a TeachPlus Policy Fellow, she has worked to bridge classroom practice and educational policy, advocating for systems that better serve all students. Beyond her professional work, she is the proud mother of two children who inspire her commitment to creating more equitable educational environments.