“There’s No One to Recruit, Not Even a White Teacher”: Teacher Education Recruitment and Admissions

• In Event: Humanizing the Teaching Profession: Implications for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color

Abstract

U.S. teachers are overwhelmingly white. This qualitative multiple case study explored the racialized discourses and factors that shape Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) recruitment and admission to teacher education programs (TEP) within three California-based Minority Serving Institutions. The author reviewed TEP policies, observed virtual recruitment sessions, and conducted semi-structured interviews with TEP staff, faculty, and administrators to conduct a Critical Discourse Analysis based on Critical Race Theory, Critical Whiteness Studies, and the Theory of Racialized Organizations. Findings suggest that TEPs maintain whiteness, however have flexibility in recruiting and admitting BIPOC teachers. Prioritizing racial justice, interrogating racialized policies and practices, and engaging stakeholders across K-12 and post-secondary contexts can potentially improve BIPOC representation in teaching.

Author

• Mayeen Quader, University of California - Riverside