The Power of Their Presence: Minority Group Teachers and Schooling

TLDR

The opportunity to imagine the possibilities of schooling and make a real difference in students' lives is a catalyst for minority group people to enter and remain in the teaching profession. This review examines the experiences of minority group teachers transitioning from teacher credential programs into the teaching profession. The authors synthesized research from 1989–1998 on preservice and in‑service minority teachers in public schools, then applied a social‑justice framework to guide educators and schools in developing robust recruitment and retention programs. The review shows that minority group teachers have a powerful impact, yet obstacles hinder the full realization of their potential.

Abstract

This review focuses on the experiences of minority group teachers as they move into teacher credential programs and then into the teaching profession. Research reports published between 1989 and 1998 were considered if they focused on the experiences of preservice and in-service minority group teachers in public school contexts. After a descriptive synthesis provides a snap-shot of the actual experiences of minority group teachers in schooling, a social justice framework is used to guide teacher educators and school-based professionals in their construction of robust recruitment and retention programs. This review demonstrates the power of the presence of minority group teachers but also demonstrates the obstacles to full realization of their potential. Perhaps the opportunity to imagine the possibilities of schooling in the context of making a real difference in students' lives is the catalyst minority group people need to enter and remain in the teaching profession.