The Impact of Neoliberal Evaluation Systems on Rural Schools, Teachers, and their Bilingual Learners

Abstract

Over the past several decades, neoliberal reformers have had immense success advancing their reforms. While studies have pointed to the negative impact of these reforms on students and literacy instruction, there has been limited work focused on the well-being of teachers and the impact these reforms have on growing teacher shortages, especially in rural schools serving growing numbers of bilingual learners. Drawing on data collected from five rural schools during the implementation in New Mexico of what was dubbed the “toughest teacher evaluation system” in the U.S., this article explores how the evaluation system threatened teacher professional autonomy and career satisfaction, leading to teacher shortages that mirror a nationwide trend in the U.S. While existing work has largely taken a resigned stance towards the continual march of neoliberal education reform, this article closes by emphasizing the agency of individuals and organizations to enact change.