"It's Not for Me": Why Black High School Students Reject Teaching as a Career

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Four
  In Roundtable Session: Student Critical Consciousness: A Vehicle for Positive Academic, Personal/Social, and Career Development (Table 11)

Abstract

Although 15% of public school students in the U.S. are Black, Black people account for only 7% of the teacher workforce. Although there are many paths toward becoming a teacher, Black students are disproportionately underrepresented in college teacher preparation programs. This qualitative study seeks to shed light on the ways Black high school seniors describe their decisions to reject teaching as a possible career path. The lived experiences of these students adds to research that informs practices for teachers, researchers, and policymakers as they attempt to recruit Black students into the teacher pipeline after high school.

Author

• Tifanee McCaskill, University of Maryland
  Presenting Author