Administrator and Teacher Recruitment and Selection Post-<i>Brown</i>: Issues, Challenges, and Strategies

Abstract

The number of African American teachers and principals in the nation’s schools has declined precipitously since the legal decision rendered in Brown v. Board of Education. In this article I explore the historical and contemporary reasons for the decline in the numbers of African American educators in U.S. public schools and relate the negative effects this situation has had on the school life and achievement of African American students. Several strategies are offered as proactive means to increase the number of African American educators in schools throughout the nation. It is clear, however, that these strategies will be futile unless school districts possess a deep commitment to increase the diversity of the teaching and administrative staffs of their schools.