Stories of Teacher Candidates of Color in a Teacher Preparation Program

• In Event: Marginality and Solidarity: Centering Race and Justice in Teacher Education

Abstract

Society often portrays a deficit perspective on teachers and communities of color. Our research serves as a tool to name these inequitable stereotypes and disrupt majoritarian narratives by highlighting the stories of former teacher candidates' of color. This research focuses on the General Knowledge Test (GKT), consisting of four subtests, which must be passed to gain entrance to the College of Education. Although our participants continued to experience repeated difficulties while in their teacher preparation program, they resisted against gatekeeping mechanisms and refused to allow the GKT to dictate their aspirational goals of becoming educators. Using CRT, we attempt to disrupt and dismantle majoritarian narratives regarding teachers of color.

Authors

• Jennifer Iris Perez, University of South Florida - Tampa

• Jennifer Jacobs, University of South Florida