School of Education

Education

• Ph.D. in educational policy and planning, concentration in race and gender studies, University of Texas at Austin
• M.S. in urban education; African diaspora studies, Florida International University
• B.S. in English education, University of South Florida

Research interests

Cultural politics of race in schools; education policy; teacher labor markets; school leadership on teacher recruitment and retention; school-community intersections

Recent publications

• Clay, K.L., Castro, A., Hewko, A.* (2025). “The right kind of leader”: Neoliberal antiracism and cultural straddling in the movement for educational DEI.” Race Ethnicity and Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2025.2488749
• Castro, A., Pointer, A.*, & Gomez, R. (2025). The impact of job stress on Teachers’ of Color Morale. Equity & Excellence in Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2025.2473329
• Castro, A., Hewko, A.*, Clay, K., Siegel-Hawley, G., Bridges, K. (2024). Not citizens in waiting: Student counter-narratives of equity resistance campaigns. Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048241271391
• Castro, A. & Traylor, T. (2024). Navigating racialized administrative burdens in teacher licensure and certification. Teachers College Record. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681241269104
• Castro, A., Edwards, W., & Stanley, D. (2024). Racialized teacher tracking: The systematic exclusion of Black teachers from advanced-level coursework. Race Ethnicity and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2024.2370763
• Castro, A., Siegel-Hawley, G., Bridges, K., & Williams, S*. (2023). Drawn into policy: A systematic review of school rezoning rationales, processes, and outcomes. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231195816
• Castro, A.J. (2023). NEPC review: Integrating housing and education solutions to reduce segregation and drive school equity and When good parents go to jail: The criminalization of address sharing in public education. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. http://nepc.colorado.edu/review/boundaries
• Castro, A., Edmondson, E., & Santoro, D. (2023) Shifting the gaze: Examining contextual factors influencing teacher morale in suburban schools. American Journal of Education.130(1). https://doi.org/10.1086/727008
• Castro, A., Siegel-Hawley, G., Bridges, K., & Williams, S. (2023). Drawn Into Policy: A Systematic Review of School Rezoning Rationales, Processes, and Outcomes. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231195816
• Green, T. L. & Castro, A., Germain, E., Latham Sikes, C., & Horne, J. (2023). “They don’t feel like this is their place anymore:” School leaders’ understanding of the impacts of gentrification on schools. American Education Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312231191704
• Apugo, D., Castro, A., & Dougherty, S.* (2022). A review of Black girls’ urban schooling experiences: Power, policies, and practices. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543221125476
• Castro, A. (2022). Managing competing demands in a teacher shortage context: The impact of teacher shortages on principal leadership practices. Educational Administration Quarterly. DOI: 10.1177/0013161X221140849
• Castro, A. (2022). Teachers of color and precarious work: The inequality of job security. Labor Studies Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160449X221128050
• Castro, A., & Jabbar, H., & Nunez*, S. (2022). School choice, teachers’ work, and professional identity. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30 (104). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.6122
• Castro, A., Siegel-Hawley, G., Bridges, K., & Williams*, S. (2022). Narratives of school rezoning: How racial storylines shape belonging, leadership decisions, and school boundary lines. AERA Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221091274

Bio

Andrene J. Castro is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and faculty scholar with the Convergence Labs @VCU - Thriving Communities. Castro’s research broadly explores the cultural politics of race in education policy across two areas: 1) the intersection of policies and leadership practices impacting teacher recruitment and retention with a focus on teachers of color; and 2) school reform policies shaping neighborhood-communities. Her scholarship has been featured in top academic journals such as American Educational Research Journal, AERA Open, Educational Policy, and Urban Education.

Curriculum Vitae