Date of Award
January 2017
Degree Type
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
First Advisor
Roger C. Cleveland
Department Affiliation
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Second Advisor
Sherwood Thompson
Department Affiliation
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Third Advisor
Rose Skepple
Department Affiliation
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Abstract
Primary and secondary schools across the nation are becoming increasingly heterogeneous, yet the teacher population remains homogenous. In fairness, this is not a new issue: At the turn of the century, Whites represented a significant aggregate of the teacher population: 73% in the inner city; 81% in suburban schools; 91% in small towns; and 98% in rural areas. The magnitude of this issue is significant since approximately 33% of schools in the U.S. are located in rural areas, which already struggle with recruiting and retaining teachers, much less African-American ones. In fact, Bireda and Chait (2011) found that over 40% of public schools lack a single African American teacher on staff.
The shortage of African American teachers can be traced back to the historic Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954. While recruitment initiatives have been somewhat productive, studies nonetheless reveal a "revolving door" whereby scores of teachers abandon their jobs before retirement. Attrition is the primary factor impacting retention, according to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. Retaining African American teachers is an essential part of narrowing this chasm.
As an effort to understand the causes of attrition and perseverance among African-American teachers, this study offers several qualitative interviews as part of an inductive, multiple-case study. The findings indicate that White superintendents are consciously or unconsciously supportive of the veils of oppression. Meanwhile, the principals and White faculty in these districts remain purposefully negligent of the needs and issues that African American teachers confront as co-cultural group members at predominantly White school districts.
Copyright
Copyright 2017 Tony Eugene Sweatt
Recommended Citation
Sweatt, Tony Eugene, "The Lived Experience Of African American Teachers Utilizing Co-Cultural Adaptation At Predominantly White Rural Schools In Central Appalachia" (2017). Online Theses and Dissertations. 495.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/495
