Black Teachers on Teaching

by Michele Foster

Overview

A candid and eye-opening look at what desegregation has actually meant for students—with lessons for today—from the teachers who were on the front lines of integration

Black Teachers on Teaching is an honest and compelling account of the politics and philosophies involved in the education of Black children during the second half of the twentieth century. Michele Foster collects wisdom from those who were the first to teach in desegregated southern schools and from others who taught in large urban districts, such as Boston, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.

All go on record about the losses and gains accompanying desegregation, the inspirations and rewards of teaching, and what they saw as the challenges of the future. This is an essential capsule into the mindsets of Black teachers as we entered the twenty-first century, with relevant lessons for readers today. If there is one lesson to be taken from Black Teachers on Teaching, it is that Black teachers have always been, and remain, a vital part of our nation’s educational system.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781565844537
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	04/15/1998
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michele Foster is Sherman Family Endowed Chair in Urban Education Research and the executive director of the Urban Education Research Center at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. A frequent contributor to journals and books on education, she is the author of Black Teachers on Teaching (The New Press); the editor of Readings on Equal Education, vol. 11: Qualitative Investigations into Schools and Schooling; and a co-editor of Unrelated Kin: Ethnic and Gender Identity in Women's Personal Narratives and Growing Up African American in Catholic School.

Editorial Reviews

"A balanced debate on the pros and cons of integration and its impact on the education of African American children." —Booklist

"A must-read. . . . A tribute to unsung dreamkeepers, and a guide for those who look beyond the statistics for pieces of crystal." —Emerge

"Foster lets teachers tell their stories, and their words are moving . . . powerful, and true." —Teacher Magazine

From the Publisher

How has the teaching profession been experienced and understood by black teachers? To answer her question, Foster (Unrelated Kin) conducted 20 "life history" interviews with black teachers between 1988 and 1996. Of interest not only to black teachers, parents and school administrators, Black Teachers on Teaching gives all readers frank firsthand reactions to school integration and its results for teachers and students, as well as an overview of blacks in education over much of this past century. For many of these teachers, integration has been a failure, not only depriving black children of the dedicated instruction of black teachers but also resulting in the firing or displacement of black staff. One interviewee recounts being sent to an east Texas school to fulfill legal requirements of integration, only to spend six months in an office, having been refused a teaching assignment because of the prejudice of white colleagues and protesting parents. Meanwhile, white teachers maintained their right to teach in the newly integrated schools. Over the years, many of these black teachers noted that bright black students were scorned or ignored by their white teachers and socially discriminated against by their white classmates. Many blacks of average ability equal to that of their white counterparts were relegated to special education or remedial classes. There are a couple of interviews that are superficial and could have been excluded, but for the most part Foster provides frontline reports on subjects that many people know only from a distance. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Through 20 "life history interviews," Foster (Growing Up African American in Catholic Schools, Teachers Coll. Pr., 1996) provides a look at how black teachers feel about teaching. She begins with "The Elders," who for the most part began teaching in the 1920s-40s. These six describe their own schooling as well as their teaching experiences during the beginnings of integration. "The Veterans" follow, detailing current trends and practices and sharing their stories and advice. Two "Novices" express their enthusiasm for teaching. While each narrative is different, certain themes run throughout the book, such as the need to encourage students-especially black students-to challenge themselves continuously. What's surprising is the number of interviewees who praise certain aspects of segregation. Foster will open some eyes to the reality of inequality in education. Recommended for most libraries, especially those with an emphasis on education.-Terry A. Christener, Hutchinson P.L., Kan.

Library Journal

Interviews with 21 black educators born between 1905 and 1973, provide a candid look at the politics and philosophies of educating black children over the last 50 years. The veteran teachers describe the transition from segregated to integrated classrooms, while their younger colleagues reflect on the legacy left by these pioneers, and debate the advantages and disadvantages of education in integrated schools. No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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