Teacher as Artist, Intellectual, and Citizen Using a Critical Framework in Teacher Professional Development That Empowers Voice and Transforms Practice Jenice L. View and Elizabeth K. DeMulder EWEY (1902/1990) WROTE, "In the schoolroom the motive and the cement of social organization are alike wanting. Upon the ethical side, the tragic weakness of the present school is that it endeavors to prepare future members of the social order in a medium in which the conditions of the social spirit are eminently wanting" (15). As external forces increasingly mandate standardization and high-stakes testing in schools, and as school structures and classroom cultures shift in support of these requirements, schooling experiences for both teachers and students move further and further away from an empowerment model of education (Cummins, 2000) that supports democratic ideals. Typical current school practices emphasize an exter- nally imposed, top down, one-size-fits-all approach that undervalues teacher expertise and marginalizes individual student needs. In contrast, empowering educational environ- ments support teachers and students to find their own voices, to take ownership of their experiences, and to participate in decision- making processes in the democratic tradition. While there are many national and international efforts to promote civic education in the interest of teaching the skills and practices of democracy to P -12 students (e.g., Carnegie and CIRCLE, 2003) there are far fewer efforts to support teachers to push back against the constraining and silencing elements of current trends. Our experience as teacher educators suggests that sustained opportunities to develop critical pedagogy skills can help teachers working within the current system of constraints to reframe their roles and transform their class- rooms in ways that empower both teachers and students. We will discuss these teaching and learning approaches, highlighting the voices of teachers as they describe the frustrations and challenges they face and the professional development experiences that have impacted their beliefs and transformed teaching and learning in their classrooms. JENICE L. VIEW is assistant professor in the Initiatives in Educational Transformation Program at George Mason University. Her research focuses on the critical teaching and learning of history, critical pedagogy in teacher professional development, and how the learning of history impacts youth voice and civic engagement. ELIZABETH K. DEMULDER is director and associate professor of the Initiatives in Educational Transformation at George Mason University. Her research concerns the study of interpersonal relationships in educational contexts, risk and protective conditions in children's development and early education, and teacher professional development focusing on critical pedagogy and social justice issues. ESSAYS 33