Upending Colonial Practices: Toward Repairing Harm in English Education

This article briefly reviews the colonial roots of English education in the United States and outlines current practices that perpetuate harm in the lives of students of color in K-12 schools. Through an examination of theoretical scholarship and empirical research related to repairing the harm invoked by colonizing English education practices, the authors collectively build on Winn’s (2013) call for researchers to imagine and engage in practices of restorative teacher education within specific area groups. Drawing on their collective research experiences, the authors highlight practices that support the reparative, restorative, and humanizing literacy pedagogies necessary for 21st century schools, with the aim of deepening knowledge and practices that advance “restorative English education”.