Entre la Espada y la Pared: Critical Educators, Bilingual Education, and Education Reform

From the perspective of two practitioners who have been influenced by work in the area of critical pedagogy and critical theory, this article examines bilingual education, education reform, and the achievement gap in relation to Latino English Language Learners. The authors integrate personal experiences as they examine underlying assumptions of class, race, and asymmetrical power relations in current education policy and classroom practice. They argue that, despite feelings of being "between a rock and a hard place," critical pedagogy has allowed them to continue their struggles for educational justice with the help of fellow educators and community members.