Chapter 13: Cases to Build Community in Professional Development With Practicing Teachers: An Introduction

equitable and socially just mathematics education requires building communities of practice that center marginalized identities, disrupt biases, and challenge exclusionary hierarchical conceptions of competence (Goffney, 2018; Louie et al., 2021). Whether through participation in sustained professional development, networks, or support groups, these communities provide spaces to critically examine hierarchical conceptions of mathematical competence, strengthen asset-based views of students, and collaboratively develop more empowering and liberatory mathematics instruction. In addition, building community can develop a sense of belonging, foster collaboration, trust, and shared learning (Baker et al., 2023; Id-Deen, 2017). These communities are vital for sharing experiences, supporting each other, and collectively tackling educational inequities.