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ERIC Number: ED653949
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 132
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3827-6848-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Retaining and Reviving Black Teachers in Urban Schools: An Examination of Why They Persist
Marlena Little
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Concordia University Chicago
Black teachers represent a small percentage of teachers in classrooms across the United States. According to 2017-2018 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), African American or Black teachers represent only 6.7% of the teaching population. Although the student and classroom demographics continue to shift with the inclusion of more minority and Black students, the racial distribution of teachers remain mostly White. While urban schools, especially those in high-poverty, low-income neighborhoods are more likely to employ Black teachers, they also have a revolving door of teachers and lower retention rate of Black teachers. Despite the many obstacles present for teachers and the statistics of those who ultimately leave their profession, there are also educators who make the decision to stay. This qualitative single case study answered the central research question, "Given the high percentage of urban teachers leaving the teaching profession, why do Black teachers stay?" using the grounded theory approach. This single case study examined the perspectives and experiences of Black teachers at a single site who made the decision to persist in an urban elementary school with a retention rate of 95% for Black teachers over the last three years. Using the grounded theory approach, individual interviews and focus group discussions of the participants were collected, coded, categorized and analyzed using a concurrent comparative analysis method for the emergence of a novel theory. The theory generated explains why Black teachers have chosen to persist in urban schools and specifically for Black students. The research findings suggest that, related to the persistence of Black teachers in urban schools, external factors are not as important as intrinsically motivating factors. The findings of this research also suggests a need to redefine recruiting practices for Black teachers in urban schools, evaluate the culture and climate of urban schools, and revive the Black teaching workforce through an intentional focus on the "Heart Work" of Black teachers who have chosen to persist in urban schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A