Disrupting the Commonplace: Applying Critical Literacy to Music Teacher Education

With the rise in political polarization and policy debates surrounding public education in the United States, music educators increasingly encounter legislative and cultural pressures that shape what and how they teach. Preparing future teachers to navigate these contexts requires more than familiarity with curricular standards; it requires the ability to critically interpret policies, texts, and discourses that influence classroom practice. In this article, we draw on Lewison and colleagues’ four dimensions of critical literacy to examine how music teacher education might cultivate dispositions of professional awareness and agency. Using examples drawn from both K–12 music classrooms and music teacher education coursework, we illustrate how critical literacy can inform repertoire decisions, classroom dialogue, and policy navigation. By positioning critical literacy as a professional orientation within teacher preparation, we highlight ways music teacher education can support preservice music teachers in engaging thoughtfully with the political realities of teaching music today.