Literary Review

“I want to do the right thing but what is it?”  White Teachers’ Experience with African-American Students

By Malik S. Henfield and Ahmad R. Washington

Increasing Teacher Diversity:  Growing Your Own Through Partnership

By Steven A Schmitz, Steven W. Nourse and Molly E. Ross

How Cultural Dynamics and Teacher Preparation Affect the Educational Opportunities of Minority Students

By Dedrick J. Sams

Summary

            While the legal precedent set forth by Brown v Board of Education focused on the inherit shortcomings involved with a separate, but equal education system the reality is that very little has changed in terms of bringing a racially balanced educational system within the United States.  Matter of fact the harsh reality is that there are 250 school districts within our country, 67 years post Brown, that are still operating dual school districts (McNeal, 2009).    It can be argued that this separate reality is due in large part to the effects of concentrated poverty and the growth of a suburban reality in most metropolitan cities.  That withstanding the need for a teacher workforce who is competent and socially agile when it comes to the everyday realities of a diverse student population is essential.

            In each of the above articles the focus of teacher competency as it relates to navigating the social landscape many children come from rang through.  In his research, Sims (2006) suggested that the lack of understanding regarding cultural differences could have dire repercussions for urban students in particular minority students.

Research Findings

            The research provided by Henfield and Washington (2012), concluded that in the academic school year of 2010-2011, 45 percent of all students within the American K-12 public school system were identified as minority students. Whereas, in the previous decade the nation as a whole saw an 11.1 decrease in minority students, large urban schools districts saw an increase in urban students by 5.6 percent (Hunter & Donahoo, 2003).  That being said the research presented by Henfield and Washington (2012) went on to further conclude that in the academic school year of 2008-2009 83 percent of the teacher workforce identified themselves as White.  In their research Hunter and Donahoo (2003) concluded that 85 percent of the people currently enrolled in undergraduate teacher education programs were White females.  All of this is presented in light of the growing trend back to resegregation, in particular in the education space.

            The research furthermore suggested that an imbalance of this proportion has led to the hotly contested notion of deficit thinking and decreased academic expectations on the part of White teachers (Henfield & Washington, 2012).  In his research Sims (2006) suggested that this deficit thinking has lead to terms such as “disadvantaged,” “at risk,” and “culturally deprived,” being used to identify minority students.  Furthermore, Henfield and Washington (2012), suggested it was teacher’s “Whiteness” or color-blindness that often times ran counter to the experiences or patterns of socialization of the students they serve.  In research provided by Leland and Harste (2005), they suggested that the usage of color-blindness was a means of White teachers to cover up coping with fear and ignorance. 

            The final research finding of the above articles led to a greater need to make a focused effort surrounding the recruitment and the retention of minority teachers and a more concerted effort on the part of leadership in terms of teacher preparation when it comes to minority students.  In research offered by Schmitz, Nourse and Ross (2012), they suggested that despite the best intentions White teachers did not have the cultural experiences needed to understand minority students.  To follow up on this idea in the research offered by Henfield and Washington (2012), teachers commented that they find themselves chasing test scores and things such as discussions of diversity fall through the cracks.  Finally, because the larger school culture is rooted in White America, the cultural deprivation of young minority students often leads to a destructive bias towards education (Sims, 2006).

Strengths

            The strengths of “I want to do the right thing but what is it?”  White Teachers’ Experience with African-American Students, Increasing Teacher Diversity:  Growing Your Own Through Partnership and How Cultural Dynamics and Teacher Preparation Affect the Educational Opportunities of Minority Students lie in the researchers collective ability to paint a picture of the effects of the lack of minority representation in the classroom on student outcomes.

            Another strength of “I want to do the right thing but what is it?”  White Teachers’ Experience with African-American Students, Increasing Teacher Diversity:  Growing Your Own Through Partnership and How Cultural Dynamics and Teacher Preparation Affect the Educational Opportunities of Minority Students lies in the articles ability to shed light on how color blindness impacts student outcomes.  In his research Sams (2006), suggested that this color blindness has lead to teachers being taught how “all” children learn rather than how to teach.  This idea is further supported by research supported by Henfield and Washington (2012), who suggested, “Color blindness obscures the impact of racism and diverts conversations away from exposing systematic discriminination that non-Whites experience.”

Weaknesses

            One of the obvious weaknesses within “I want to do the right thing but what is it?”  White Teachers’ Experience with African-American Students, Increasing Teacher Diversity:  Growing Your Own Through Partnership and How Cultural Dynamics and Teacher Preparation Affect the Educational Opportunities of Minority Students was the assumption that race constituted a shared experience.  The mobility of people post Civil Rights, in particular minority families from core cities has given them experiences that run parallel to many of the of the White teachers they see in the classroom.  Therefore, race as the sole mitigating factor for outcomes is diluted. 

            Another weakness in the aforementioned research is that none of the articles take into account the effects of poverty rather than race has on minority student’s outcomes.  Literary research is saturated with studies documenting the crippling effects poverty has on student outcomes.  Therefore, having the best minority teacher and the most culturally relevant curriculum would not change the child’s outcomes.   In research offered by Hardaway and McLoyd (2009) they suggested that poverty was the one consistent rather than race that crossed multiple domains of development thus hindering positive outcomes.

Implications

            The implications of the research within the articles “I want to do the right thing but what is it?”  White Teachers’ Experience with African-American Students, Increasing Teacher Diversity:  Growing Your Own Through Partnership and How Cultural Dynamics and Teacher Preparation Affect the Educational Opportunities of Minority Students by lies in two main areas.  First and foremost the articles clearly point out what happens when you have a teacher population who are teaching from a color bind perspective.  Therefore, the deficit theories that have become theoretical gospels become self-fulfilling prophecies with the academic landscape. 

            The second implication of the research presented is that as a recruitment tool the need for minority teachers is at a critical mass.  Therefore, the research offered by Schmitz, Nourse and Ross (2012), offered the most comprehensive method for addressing the lack of minority representation within the classroom.  The first stage involved exposing minority candidates to teaching as a profession.  Secondly, it involves an early introduction of minority students to college through teacher education programs, thus creating a sense of purpose and worth.  The net results have lead to every student graduating from high school and students enrolling in teaching preparation programs.

References

Barton, A.C., Drake, C., Perez, J.G., St. Louis, K., George, M. (2004). Ecologies of Parental Engagement in Urban Schools. Educational Researcher, 33(4), pp. 3-12.

Hardaway, C.R. & McLoyd, V.C. (2009).  Escaping Poverty and Securing Middle Class Status:  How Race and Socioeconomic Status Shape Mobility Prospects for African Americans During Transition to Adulthood.  J. Youth Adolescence, Vol. 38, pp 242-256.  DOI 10.1007/s10964-008-9354

Henefield, M.S. & Wasington, A.R. (2012). “I want to do the right thing but what is it?”  White Teachers’ Experience with African-American Students.  The Journal of Negro Education, 81(2), pp. 148-161.

Horsford, S.D. (2009).  Black Superintendents on Educating Black Students in Separate and Unequal Contexts.  Urban Review, 42, pp. 58-79. DOI 10.1007/s11256-009-0119-0

Hunter, R.C. & Donahoo, S. (2003).  The Nature of Urban School Politics After Brown. The Need for New Political Knowledge, Leadership and Organizational Skills, Education and Urban Society, 36(1), pp 3-15. DOI: 10.1177/0013124503256961

Leland, C.H & Harste, J.C. (2005).  Doing What We Want to Become Preparing New Urban Teachers, Urban Education, 40(1), pp. 60-77. DOI:  10.1177/0042085904270374

McNeal, L.R. (2009).  The Re-Segregation of public Education Now and After the End of Brown V Board of Education, Education and Urban Society. 41(5), 562-574.

Schmitz, S.A., Nourse, S.W. & Ross, M.E. (2012).  Increasing Teacher Diversity:  Growing Your Own Through Partnerships.  Education, 133(1), pp.  181-187. 

Sims, D. J. (2006). How Cultural Dynamics and Teacher Preparation Affect the Educational Opportunities of Minority Students.  Essays in Education, Vol. 17.