Pedagogical and Leadership Practices. Disrupting Deficit Narratives of Chicagoland Barrios: Uplifting Latinx Teacher Testimonios

• In Event: AERA Handbook Session 2

Abstract

Despite the large percentage of students of color in urban areas and the increase of Latinx students in particular, teachers of color (TOC) remain underrepresented in the teacher workforce in the United States. The importance of diversifying the teacher workforce is well noted, specifically when it comes to improving the schooling of economically, linguistically, and racially marginalized youth. Our work highlights the testimonios of Latinx teachers working in predominantly Latinx communities in the Chicagoland area to document the added value that teachers of color bring to classrooms. This work contributes to the reasons Latinxs go into teaching and what they experience as teachers, in order to better understand how to recruit, support, and retain these TOC in the teaching profession.

Authors

• Ramona Alcalá, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Joanna Maravilla, Lewis University

• P. Zitlali Morales, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Yanelet Delgado, University of Illinois at Chicago