The Truth About the Overwhelming Presence of Whiteness 20 Years Later: Today's Interrogations of Race, Racism, and White Supremacy in Teacher Education

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Though posited in 2001, Christine Sleeter called out the overwhelming presence of whiteness in teacher education, one in which still manifests twenty years later. In fact, the recent attacks on CRT in teaching is just another tell-tale sign that the field of teaching and education is still rooted in whiteness so much so that any attempts to challenge its stronghold, like CRT, get resisted. How then is teacher education to proceed in developing teachers who are equipped with the skillsets, tools, knowledge, and actions to best advocate for antiracist teaching practices? Or, shall we simply begin with, is not antiracism and/or racial justice what we truly want for teacher education? This panel honors Dr. Christine Sleeter’s work in teacher education by revisiting her postulation twenty years ago to highlight how whiteness continues to manifest in teacher education whilst also providing concrete strategies of how teacher education fights back.

Sub Unit

• AERA Presidential Session

Chair

• Cheryl E. Matias, University of San Diego

Papers

• Interrogating the Whiteness of Teacher Education and the Exploitation of Teachers of Color: Clinical Practice as Racial Capitalism - Mariana Souto-Manning, Erikson Institute

• The Emotionalities of Whiteness: How Crying Me a River Maintains Whiteness in Teacher Education - Cheryl E. Matias, University of San Diego

• How Come Ethnic Studies Is Being Attacked if It Benefits White Students Too? - Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, San Francisco State University

• Teacher Learning Research in Countering Whiteness (Mainly but Not Only) in Teacher Education - Manka M. Varghese, University of Washington

Discussant

• Christine E. Sleeter, California State University - Monterey Bay