Program

Education Doctorate

Year Approved

2019

First Advisor

Lindstrom, Michael

Abstract

Teaching, above all else, is about relationships and engagement. Students need to see teachers, especially in their affinity group, as successful and guiding role models. American schools have spent 20+ years implementing strategies that seek to match student and teaching staff demographics. Through examination of lived experiences and related artifacts, the counter-stories within this study created the space for trends and recommendations to be identified. This phenomenological case study attempted to explain the cause for Black teachers in the United States to be more likely to leave a school than their White counterparts. Through a series of interviews with nine Black teachers in a variety of contextual situations within the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the study aimed to identify key attributes a school may feature that could increase the likelihood of minority teacher retention. The study also attempted to identify strong features of a school’s organization which increases the likelihood of retention for Black teachers. Descriptive analysis directed subsequent interviews of the teacher subjects as well as identified tangible next steps for schools and districts to implement in reversing the underrepresentation of teachers of color in American schools. Based on this study’s findings, there are opportunities for school leaders to initiate supports and systems to better influence Black teacher retention. Additionally, the findings indicate that future studies in this area are warranted to confirm recommendations and identify other data measures to investigate.

Degree Name

Education Doctorate

Document Type

Doctoral dissertation

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