I See You, Sis: An Examination of the Secondary Mathematics Education Culture Toward Black Women

• In Event: For Us by Us: Sustaining Black Girls and Women in Education

Abstract

Purpose
Black teachers comprise 7% of the U.S. public school workforce with school-aged Black students representing 16% of students enrolled in public schools in 2014. Thus, the literature categorizes Black teacher recruitment and retention as a contemporary issue (Farinde et al., 2016; NCES, 2014). Further, in view of the fact that “Black teachers comprise only about 4% of the secondary mathematics teaching force” (Frank et al., 2018, p. 155), it is particularly important to explore these issues of recruitment and retention specifically in the mathematics context. Understanding that the gifts and talents of Black women secondary mathematics teachers are largely absent from the literature, this paper seeks to apply an asset-based approach to conceptualizing Black women secondary mathematics teachers’ intersectional experiences. The present study aims to unpack one piece of the Black Women Teacher pipeline by seeking to better understand what obstacles Black women navigate (and possible solutions they have) due to their race and gender. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following research question:
What do the intersectional experiences of Black women mathematics teachers illuminate about their visibility in K-12 spaces?

Theoretical Framework
To better understand how experiences across Black women mathematics teachers’ teaching career shape their decision to remain in the field, this study incorporates Black feminist thought (BFT; Collins, 2000) into its theoretical framework. By positioning Black women secondary mathematics teachers as experts on their experiences as resilient mathematics learners, mathematics doers, and mathematics teachers, BFT centers Black women and values their viewpoint (Farinde et al., 2016). Placing Black women at the center of analysis in understanding the retention of Black women secondary mathematics teachers allows for “examining the [mathematics] teaching field beyond a White, Eurocentric understanding” (Farinde et al., 2016, p. 116). This approach to conceptualizing Black women mathematics teachers honors and respects the unique experiences that Black women teachers can offer mathematics education.

Methods and Data Sources
This study includes the perspectives of eight Black women secondary mathematics teachers that teach across the United States. The researcher conducted one-to-one semi-structured interviews with the participants to understand the essence of Black women secondary mathematics teachers' intersectional experiences in schools. During the data collection process, the participating teachers engaged in one individual, open ended interview that lasted a maximum of 120 minutes each.

Results and Scholarly Significance
Preliminary findings from the study suggest the importance of livable wages so that Black women teachers can provide for their families. Additionally, the study found that Black women have an expansive mathematics content repertoire, which illuminates the importance of disrupting the positioning of Black secondary mathematics teachers as mathematically unskillful. While viewing Black women mathematics teachers as adept specialists in their field is a significant shift from the literature, it is imperative that Black women’s professional growth and integration to the school community continues to be prioritized.

Author

• Micaela Y. Harris, Vanderbilt University