Shaylyn Marks

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education landmark court case arguably changed the landscape of education, particularly for Black youth. Despite the many gains reaped from this monumental decision, what is not often discussed is how this court ruling affected Black educators, and how the disappearance of Black educators has had a long lasting effect on the performance of Black youth. Recognizing the unique obstacles that Black children and educators face in a predominantly White education system, Diversifying the Educator Pipeline explores the need to diversify the educator workforce, particularly as it pertains to expanding the presence of Black educators.

The goal of this text is to explore the need to diversify the educator workforce, particularly as it pertains to expanding the presence of Black educators. To accomplish this, the book starts with an exploration of the historical context as it pertains to Black educators in America to contextualize the discussion and recommendations that follow. The focus of the remainder of the text is on the recruitment, preparation, and retention of Black educators as a means to diversify the educator workforce in an effort to better reflect and support diverse classrooms across the country. Throughout the volume, a synthesis of research, recommendations, and Black educator voices will be skillfully woven to create a compelling argument for the need to recruit, prepare, and retain Black educators as a means to diversify the educator workforce and better support and reflect diverse classrooms of students.

Grounded with the historical context of Black educators in America as a means to contextualize the current conversation, Dr. Marks examines why efforts to diversify the educator pipeline have not yielded the desired results. This is an important book for educators across the pedagogical spectrum, especially for those wishing to create more equitable classrooms for Black students.