Teachers' and Leaders' Perceptions of School Diversity in a Gentrifying Neighborhood

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Division L Section 7 Poster Session (San Diego)

Abstract

As schools in gentrifying communities become more diverse, teachers and leaders in those schools strive to navigate the tensions associated with gentrification in order to serve a newly diverse student body. The purpose of this study is to describe how school leaders and teachers in a gentrifying elementary school perceive diversity. In this qualitative case study, we use inductive coding of interviews and documents to generate five themes. We find that defining diversity is challenging in this context; however, an aligned school mission to be an intentionally diverse school exists. Aspects of the school’s growing diversity are generally viewed as beneficial for White families and harmful for families of color, although there are broad benefits for everyone.

Authors

• Jenn Ayscue, North Carolina State University

• Kfir Mordechay, Pepperdine University

• Gage Matthews, North Carolina State University