Teacher Education, Diversity, and the Interest Convergence Conundrum: How the "Demographic Divide" Shapes Teacher Education

• In Event: Recruiting, Retaining, and Supporting Black Teachers

Abstract

We discuss the historical context in which the demographic divide exists, paying particular attention to the experiences of Black teachers as one example of how various inequities have played out. Next, we describe the ways in which the coded language of diversity has been implicated in the demographic divide, after which we outline the concept of interest convergence and how it informs the marginalization of teachers of color in both teacher education and in classrooms. We then outline several examples of interest convergence in regards to the experiences of teachers (teacher educators) of color in teacher education, after which we conclude by outlining the implications of this research, as well as providing specific recommendations for teacher education and U.S. schools.

Authors

• Ashlee Anderson, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

• Brittany A. Aronson, Miami University