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Tactics and Strategies for Breaking the Barriers to a Diverse Teaching Force

Mon, April 20, 8:15 to 10:15am, Marriott, Floor: Third Level, Kane/McHenry

Abstract

The system which essentially reserves jobs for Whites is at the core of the U.S. teacher credentialing process, and will continue to exist until a powerful social movement pushes it aside in the same way that other overt forms of segregation and privilege have been pushed aside in the past. Drawing from Critical Race Theory, this paper describes five barriers to diversifying the teaching force: recruitment, financing the certification process, high-stakes standardized tests, universities’ own (additional) credentialing requirements, and personal support. The authors offer concrete steps that have proven successful in breaking these barriers in the Oakland and other districts. The paper concludes with a challenge to view these barriers as interconnected with other societal injustices facing communities of color.

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