School labelling as technology of governance: Problematizing ascribed labels to school spaces

Central to contemporary educational reform in the United States are the procedures and techniques that hold schools accountable to the public and render them more visible. Labelling public school performance by ascribing identifiers which deem spaces of education either a success or a failure at educating its students is one way of identifying schools for consumers of education. This yields powerful representations of school quality; what is a “good” school and what is a “bad” school. These labels are problematic given the implications of labelling practices on identities, places, and the public's perception of school spaces. This article focuses upon the technique of labelling, and explores its implications through a critical analysis of the meaning and consequences of the politics of labelling with respect to contemporary education reform. I draw on insights from social theorists and consider primary findings from a survey of inner city public school teachers. These teachers provide views from the inside, a counter‐narrative of the labels ascribed to the schools in which they teach. The teacher perceptions of the label's impact on attitudes and behaviours highlight the need to contest and demystify hegemonic labels of contemporary reform.