Navigating Challenging Waters: A Guide for Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Educators in PreK-12

Posted by Temple University on October 7, 2025

Culturally relevant and sustaining education (CRSE) is that which “ensures equity for all students and seeks to eliminate systemic institutional racial and cultural barriers that inhibit the success of all students…particularly those who have been historically underrepresented.”

Here in Pennsylvania, Chapter 49 of the Pennsylvania School Code, revised in November 2022, mandates culturally relevant and sustaining education in teacher preparation and K-12 in-service teacher professional development. The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires the use of a specific framework for Cultural
Awareness in teacher preparation; however, K-12 schools and districts have complete discretion as to how they meet the mandate of Chapter 49. Consequently, PreK-12 teachers may receive little to no support in their desire or effort to be culturally relevant and sustaining educators. Furthermore, pre-service teachers, their mentor teachers in the field, and other educators are confronted with persistent challenges that make enacting CRSE difficult in even the most supportive school contexts.

This guide was created as a resource for PreK-12 educators who care about meeting the needs of each of their learners and strive to embody CRSE, while navigating issues that make this difficult.

Access the guide.