Know Your Place: Black Teachers, Weaponized Empathy, and the Pre-K–12 Glass Ceiling

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

Abstract

Black teachers have reported barriers to transitioning from being classroom teachers to building leaders citing the lack of opportunity for growth, being overlooked for internal positions, and a lack of mentorship. Rooted in the tenets of critical race theory of education and othermothering, the purpose of this analysis was to understand how five Black teachers from the same school jointly made sense of opportunities for professional advancement using a co/autoethnographic approach. Teachers reported how the (ab)use of power by school administrators translated into microaggressions and weaponized their care for students to deny them professional mobility ultimately leading to their disengagement. Recommendations are offered for retaining Black teachers while promoting professional growth and diversifying school leadership.

Author

• LaChan V Hannon, Rutgers University - Newark