Work

The impact of desegregation on black teachers in the metropolis, 1970–2000

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: One-third of public school students are racial and/or ethnic minorities. Yet only 14 per cent of teachers represent these groups. Frequently lost in broader debates concerning this disparity is the paradoxical contribution of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. Schools were mandated under Brown to desegregate the student body. But the law did not necessarily protect the jobs of black teachers and administrators. Using a unique database of court orders, we examine the impact of mandated desegregation on black teachers. Findings indicate regional differences. Mandated desegregation created conditions that resulted in decreases in the black teaching force in the South. The opposite occurred in the non-south, with mandated desegregation positively associated with increases (although small) in the black teaching force. Our findings suggest that the legacy of mandated desegregation may have created broader institutional conditions in which black and other minority teachers remain underrepresented in the teaching force.

Source: Ethnic and Racial Studies

DOI: 10.1080/01419870902780997

Authors: Deirdre Oakley, Jacob Stowell, John R. Logan

Institutions: Georgia State University, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Brown University

Language: English

Topic: School Choice and Performance

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Quality education, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: green