Racialized Experiences of Black Applicants in the Virginia Teacher Labor Market

• In Event: To Teach or Not to Teach? Perceptions and Experiences of the Teaching Profession

Abstract

Through surveys and in-depth interviews with a structured pool of 40 Black applicants, this study casts fresh light on the teacher labor market by exploring the experiences and perspectives of Black applicants as they apply for positions in Virginia’s public schools. Through this research we learn about the ways race shapes the hiring process. We propose this (Black) person-centered approach adds complexity to structural narratives of teacher supply and demand by highlighting how Black applicants’ racialized identities and experiences impact the interpersonal aspects of the teacher labor market

Authors

• Andrene Castro, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Presenting Author

• Diana D'Amico Pawlewicz, University of North Dakota
  Presenting Author

• Toya Jones Frank, National Science Foundation
  Presenting Author

• Andrea Guiden-Pittman, American University
  Presenting Author

• Marvin Powell, George Mason University
  Presenting Author