The Power of Their Presence: Minority Group Teachers and Schooling

Teach For America’s paradoxical diversity initiative: Race, policy, and Black teacher displacement in urban schools

“…National calls to improve the number and proportion of teachers from racially diverse backgrounds is tied to recognition that teacher diversity is a strategy for improving student outcomes and overall school quality, including improved standardized test score outcomes (Dee, 2004;Egalite, Kisida, & Winters, 2015;Fairlie, Hoffman, & Oreopoulous, 2011), increased rates of school attendance and enrollment in advanced courses (Achinstein, Ogawa, Sexton, & Freitas, 2010;Villegas & Irvine, 2009), higher rates of referral and representation in gifted and talented programs (Grissom & Keiser, 2015), and overall reduction in discriminatory practices related to discipline, special education referrals, and tracking (Meier, 1984). Teachers of color have also played important roles in the sociocultural conditions of learning in classrooms, by serving as role models for all students and as cultural brokers for culturally and linguistically diverse students (Irvine, 1989;Quiocho & Rios, 2000;Villegas & Irvine, 2010). In recent years, moreover, in light of research with ToCs who expressed desire for teaching that was tied to social justice goals, ToCs were identified as unique sources of support for "hard-to-staff" schools (Achinstein et al, 2010).…”

The Importance of Minority Teachers

“…For example, in her qualitative study, Warikoo (2004) found that West Indian teachers advocated for their West Indian students and understood cultural differences such as parental nonparticipation with schools and lack of eye contact. Other scholars argue that minority teachers can serve as role models for minority students and can motivate students to pursue high levels of education (Auerbach, 2007;Guarino, Santibanez, & Daley, 2006;Quiocho & Rios, 2000;Shipp, 1999). In her study of Latino young adults reflecting on their schooling experiences, Louie (2012) Smith (2008) describes how the perceived support of teachers was instrumental to Emmanuel, a Mexican American student from Brooklyn, and to his academic success.…”

Multicultural Science Education

“…For the fall 2011 term there was only one Non-White professor out of 26 professors of biology. (Douglass, Lewis, Douglass, Scott, and Garrison-Wade, 2008;King, 1994;Ladson-Billings, 1994;Lewis, Hancock, James, & Larke, in press;Quiocho & Rios, 2000). The deficit perspective is often correlated with White professors who do not acknowledge the capacity of academic achievement, but it attempts to compensate for the presumed absent skills of Black students (Foorman, Francis, & Fletcher, 1998).…”

“…Furthermore, cultural competency is not only being aware of cultural differences, but also eliminating "experiences of inequity and disenfranchisement of students through antiracist teaching" (Beauboeuf-LaFontant, 1999) 2.4.5 Expectation. Low expectation is rooted in some professors' belief that Black students are inferior (Douglass, Lewis, Douglass, Scott, and Garrison-Wade, 2008;King, 1994;Ladson-Billings, 1994;Lewis, Hancock, James, & Larke, in press;Mitchell, 1998;Quiocho & Rios, 2000). This means that to some degree the barriers, such as White supremacy and low expectation that produced the low African American populations in STEM to begin with are still present.…”