Different location or different map? Investigating charter school teachers' professional identities

This paper explores how novice charter school teachers' professional identities were shaped by their histories, views of teachers and teaching, preparation, and teaching experiences. Participants tended to view teaching in traditional public schools as lacking cache and rigor. Constructing a professional identity as highly skilled, dedicated, and deserving of stature, participants sought institutions they felt were aligned with this identity-charter schools. While participants' initially perceived their charters as structured and coherent, over time they struggled to hold multiple identities (e.g., parent and teacher) and later questioned the sustainability, intensity, and efficacy of their and their colleagues' efforts.