ERIC EJ1090304: Growing in Multicultural Education with Alumni

2015·0.12 MB·English

by  ERIC

Feature
Growing in Multicultural Education with Alumni
Mark Abendroth

Introduction came teachers under a state provision of a for years. Although we have gained some
fast track that allows one to teach after one level of wisdom from teaching experience
Multicultural education does not de-
year of courses and 50 hours of classroom and from completing doctoral degrees, the
velop along a linear path. An individual who
observations. The three became teachers memories of day-to-day classroom teaching
decides to become a teacher brings countless
at the same time and then within two cannot remain as strong after each pass-
life experiences to the prospect of gaining
years graduated with the same master’s ing year. Teaching alumni have the cur-
certification to teach in any state of the
degree again at the same time. I was rent practice that can add a great deal of
multicultural United States. This person
their instructor for the capstone portfolio legitimacy in efforts to mentor pre-service
has a history and a present situation that
course when I was a new faculty member. and beginning teachers (Wepner, Krute, &
likely include various experiences along a
The three have been teaching in public Jacobs, 2009). Any certification program
spectrum from oppression to privilege. A
schools of a large city on the U.S. eastern will have much to gain by encouraging
certification program introduces concepts
seaboard, and they are in their seventh alumni to support each other through
of multicultural education in hopes that the
year of teaching as of this writing. One of the challenging first years of teaching. As
candidate will enter student teaching with
them recently completed credentials for some of the alumni grow to become master
a firm foundation of knowledge and respect
becoming a principal, and the other two teachers, some among them likely will be
regarding cultural diversity.
are in the late stages of completion of an willing and eager to return to their certi-
The program, hopefully, uses readings,
administartive credential. fication program and mentor new teacher
discussions, and activities that challenge
For a small group of three, the alumni candidates.
and support the candidate toward growth
are culturally diverse—an African Ameri- The program in which I work has a tra-
in becoming a multicultural educator who
can female, a White male, and an Asian dition already of bringing alumni to a face-
understands and embodies a practice of
American male. I find it is important to to-face session once each year to meet with
cultural competence and equity. If this
disclose that I am a White, generally abled, new pre-service teachers. For a few years
individual does go on to become a teacher
heterosexual male with a middle-class, I asked the alumni to speak mainly about
with an effective practice of multicultural
Protestant upbringing. All of this places me job search strategies, lesson planning, and
education, then the teacher educators of
with unearned privileges regarding race, so-called classroom management (I prefer
the certification program would do well
abilities, sexual orientation, gender, class, to use the phrase “building a learning com-
to maintain a working relationship with
and religion. Although I did not choose to munity”). More recently I have asked them
this teacher and other alumni who have
grow up with these privileges, I face choices to comment also on meeting the needs of all
similar success.
daily as an adult whether to work toward students in multicultural schools. The four
The purpose of the case study reported
growth in my journey of becoming a bet- alumni who have regularly participated
here was two-fold. One purpose was to
ter ally in struggles to end oppression and include two people of color. All four have
begin the work of exploring how able and
unearned privileges. been glad to share their insights on what
willing alumni can contribute to a second-
My current work as a teacher educa- approaches they find work for their diverse
ary certification program’s ongoing goal of
tor, like my former work as a secondary students. My challenge is to keep moving
preparing pre-service and new teachers to
ESL and social studies teacher, gives me this topic of multicultural education more
become effective multicultural educators.
a grand honor and a grand responsibility to the center in these sessions.
The other purpose was to evaluate how
to participate in the hard work of joining
the alumni had developed perspectives
with others to advance democracy, equity, Theoretical Framework
on multicultural education along a path
and social justice in our communities and
from pre-service teaching to experienced The theoretical framework of this
our world. This is a labor of love and joy,
teaching. study is grounded in the readings of two
and reconnecting with three esteemed
I interviewed three alumni who be- courses that students took in their first
alumni reminded me of how exciting and
year of the program as pre-service teach-
rewarding it all can be.
ers. The concept of multicultural education
Mark Abendroth is an associate professor for transformation and social action is im-
Importance of Alumni Relations
of social studies education portant in both courses. The faculty mem-
at Empire State College Teacher educators mostly are former bers who design and/or regularly teach
of the State University of New York, K-12 teachers who have been away from the courses have a strong commitment
New York City, New York. their elementary or secondary classrooms toward fostering in candidates not only
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cultural competence but also an advancing shows potential for becoming an effective unrest over institutional racism in U.S.
efficacy in teaching for equity and social teacher for all students. police forces has brought race back to the
justice. One of the courses addresses social, Another particular challenge is foster- center, but a critical analysis that includes
political, and economic contexts of educa- ing in candidates a sense of how multicul- class has been difficult to find in corporate
tion in the history and current times of the tural education involves multiple forms media.
United States, and the anchor reading is of diversity in a complex sociopolitical Critical teachers need to be intellec-
Joel Spring’s (2013) American Education. context (Nieto & Bode, 2011). They read tuals with a curiosity to understand the
The other course focuses on diversity how diversities of culture, race, ethnicity, currents of history and how they come
in U.S. schools and how families of the class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, together in the present, and Paulo Freire
past and present have experienced educa- language, and ability all come with his- wrote volumes about this. Teachers are
tion. The anchor reading in this course is tories and current realities of power dif- cultural workers who have tremendous
Spring’s (2012) Deculturalization and the ferentials, oppression, and privilege. They influence over young people, and the work
Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of reflect on how they, as individuals, have of teaching requires deep knowledge of
the Education of Dominated Cultures in experienced oppression and privilege in cultures and the nature of culture (Freire,
the United States. Both courses include different contexts. 1998a). Their intellectual work is incom-
numerous other readings, several of which To experience oppression is to have plete, though, without a commitment to
are in Jana Noel’s (2011) edited book Mul- a kind of heart knowledge of it as well as democracy and moral courage (Freire,
ticultural Education. head knowledge. To experience privilege, 1998b). To care about students is to care
The pre-service teachers learn that though, can be like having the invis- about changing social conditions that op-
multicultural education goes beyond cel- ible knapsack to which Peggy McIntosh press so many of them.
ebrations of heroes, foods, and holidays as (2008) referred in her landmark essay. Social justice in education is having
they read about how it can and should be a Candidates of color often speak about effective teachers in every classroom, and
process and effort that culminates in per- how they have experienced so many of the it is fostering in students the capacity to
sonally and socially transformative learn- unpleasant situations of racism listed by be change agents and global citizens in a
ing and a will to engage in social action McIntosh. White candidates have a range multicultural participatory democracy. I
as global citizens (Banks, 1994). Whether of responses to this article from insistence did not learn how to be a critical multicul-
these teacher candidates witness such upon colorblindness to a critical reflection tural educator in a short time when I was
dynamic multicultural education in their of privilege in their lives; what nearly all teaching in an urban public high school,
50 hours of classroom observations is hit seem to agree upon is that they had never and it is a long process of lifelong learn-
or miss. In these times of high-stakes test- thought much about Whiteness and its ing for anyone who places importance on
ing many teachers feel pressure to teach privileges before reading the article. development as a multicultural educator. I,
efficiently to the test, and deep conceptual An understanding of how different therefore, approached this study knowing
learning of multiculturalism is not an diversities and –isms intersect and stand that, like the interviewees, I continue to
explicit priority in many classrooms and alone is something that teachers need to have much to learn.
schools. The teacher candidates (hereafter develop as multicultural educators. When
“candidates”) develop their conceptions women of color found that their experi- Method and Analysis
and misconceptions of multiculturalism ences were left out of prominent discourses
This was a case study in that it ex-
from their past experiences as students of feminism, they gave a name to the study
plored in depth a program and process
as well as from their current classroom of their experiences and struggles: wom-
“bounded by time and activity” (Creswell,
observations, so it is imperative that the anism. Although other intersections—for
2014, p. 14). The program involved a
course readings receive careful attention example, between gender and class, and be-
master’s degree and an accelerated track to
in discussions, activities, and assign- tween race and class—have not developed
classroom teaching after a year of courses.
ments. names in the same way, there is a need to
The process under study was the alumni’s
The candidates of the Transitional study how they can help to explain the
development of perspective toward multi-
B certification program do not have tra- complex experiences of marginalization
cultural education from initial phases of
ditional student teaching, but they plan and privilege that play out in U.S. society
pre-service teaching through to experi-
and conduct microteachings in two of and schools.
enced teaching. As noted above, the three
their first-year courses. One of these two Zeus Leonardo (2012) has attempted
alumni who volunteered to participate in
courses explicitly focuses on the impor- to give a name to such an intersection
the individual interviews were in the pro-
tance of culturally responsive teaching between race and class: critical raceclass
gram for the same three years, becoming
(Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995). All of theory. He argued that race and class,
teachers at the same time and in the same
the candidates, including those in math although each stands apart in important
urban district.
and science, must demonstrate in their ways, have undeniable intersections in
The interviews involved a series of
microteachings how their conceptual les- history and in the current global political
questions in three sections. The first section
sons are culturally responsive for diverse economy of neoliberalism. Marxists and
addressed each participant’s background
students. Each must make clear in the liberals alike came together during the
information: such as age; self-identity in
lesson’s plan and delivery how the content Occupy movement to demonstrate against
terms of race, ethnicity, and/or nationality;
and pedagogy are accessible and relevant the market fundamentalism of the global
and memories of one’s schools as a student
to culturally diverse adolescent learners. economy, but largely missing was a focus
with regard to cultural diversity among
There are only a few chances to show in on how institutional and systemic racism
students and teachers. The second section
these microteachings how one is emerging plays a role in class dynamics (Abendroth,
provided the main content for data. Several
as a caring and competent candidate who 2014; Campbell, 2011). Now, the current
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
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detailed, open-ended questions aimed for such as ethnic groups’ contributions and Latino, 39 percent African American, and
changing perspectives and practices regard- celebration of diversity. The more trans- one percent Eastern European. He noted
ing multicultural education. The third and formative matters of equity and social that the teachers were not “predominantly
final section provided closure with invita- justice surfaced in direct and indirect ways. Caucasian.” At one point he used the term
tions to add any further testimony and to It was clear that all three alumni valued “White” but then corrected himself, saying
ask me questions as desired. I met with multicultural education in general as a that he did not like that term and preferred
each individual at the time and place of means for making learning relevant for “Caucasian.”
her/his choice. Two interviews occurred at all students with regard to their cultural Edward said that multicultural educa-
the teacher’s school after the school day had experiences. They clearly cared about stu- tion is mainly a responsibility of English
ended, and the other was at a public library. dents and their achievements, and they language arts and social studies teachers,
I conducted the interviews from December expressed how multicultural education has but he was well versed on what students
of 2013 through February of 2014. an important role in effective teaching and were reading in literature assignments
Data analysis involved a study of the learning. and was pleased that students were
transcripts to find common themes among Participants’ views on details of cul- learning from orientations other than
the testimonies. Each participant respond- ture, race, and class showed some interest- Eurocentric. When ask how the graduate
ed to every question, and each had some ing similarities and differences. Each had a program changed his views about multicul-
more to say at the end. I sought examples different way of expressing how these con- tural education, he enthusiastically replied
of responses that went into greater depth cepts matter in the lives of students, and that it had helped him to understand how
with particular emphases. The interviews there were statements that suggested how students have different experiences and
were not video-recorded, but I noted the mo- one of the concepts is more central than different needs and, therefore, require
ments in which each individual spoke with the others. There were instances as well differentiated instruction. He stated,
heightened emotional intensity. I reread, when word choice became a noteworthy
… It’s too easy to say, ‘I treat everyone the
coded, and further studied the transcripts factor in suggesting how the participant
same’. You know, it’s not fair. It’s the same
until I could chart salient themes clearly. was viewing one of the concepts. Percep- thing as saying, ‘This student has a learn-
tions on how the concepts stand apart and ing disability; I’m going to treat him the
Findings intersect surfaced in some comments. same as this honor student’. Absolutely
All these findings can be most clearly not! ... Fairness and multiculturalism is
Three major themes emerged in no presented by considering one participant giving them what they need … not treat-
particular order from my data analysis. at a time. Each of the alumni is a talented ing everyone the same.
One involved the perspectives among the
and dedicated professional who has gained These words and more revealed how Ed-
three alumni regarding how the graduate
tenure and has made great progress to- ward had become mindful of education for
program changed the way they viewed
ward gaining credentials for becoming a equity, and they were similar to the words
multicultural education. A second was
principal. Each has developed a unique he had used to describe his overall teaching
the manner in which participants identi-
perspective on urban education and how philosphy. He implied that culturally di-
fied with mainstream and transformative
multicultural education is an important verse students need culturally responsive
views of multicultural education. A third
part of meeting the needs of culturally teaching as much as students with learn-
was how the participants varied in their
diverse students. ing disabilities require accommodations
views of culture, race, and class as iso-
for their special needs.
lated and intersecting characteristics of
The Alumni When the interview came to a close, I
students’ identities and experiences. After
asked Edward whether there was anything
a brief explanation of each finding, I will The three participants appear below
more he would like to say. He included in
present each participant and highlight how in chronological order of the interviews.
his reply,
s/he contributed to the themes. One requested that her/his actual name be
Before discussing the program’s impact used, and the other two provided a pseud- … I don’t really make multiculturalism a
on the alumni, it is important to consider onym for any publication of the study. The priority; it’s just part of what I do ... It’s
how they viewed multicultural education words/phrases “Black,” “African American,” always blended in with everything we do
in the first place. They varied some when “Latino,” and “Hispanic” appear as each ... Maybe this approach wouldn’t work
in a suburban school in [name deleted],
responding to the question “What do you interviewee used them.
where they’re a little bit more upper-class
think of when you see or hear the phrase
or something, but then I’m sure there are
‘multicultural education’?” They also var- Edward different cultures over there that, you
ied in their thoughts on how the graduate Edward, a math teacher in a high know, would need to bridge.
program changed their perspectives on mul-
school, agreed to meet with me in his class-
A sign of effective transformative multi-
ticultural education. Each shared how the
room after classes had ended on the last
cultural education (hereafter, “TME”) is
program had addressed relevant theories
day before the winter holiday break of two
that it becomes a part of one’s everyday
but also how gaining actual experience in
weeks. He was 44 years old. When asked
thinking habits, and Edward indicated
classroom teaching completed the theory-
to identify himself in terms of ethnicity,
that this is the case in his school for his
to-practice learning process.
race, and/or nationality, he replied, “Asian
colleagues and himself. On the other hand,
The spectrum of mainstream and
American.” He grew up in the same city
this thought of not needing to consciously
transformative views on multicultural
where he was teaching but in a distant
make multicultural education a priority
education appeared in several points of
neighborhood that he described as diverse
could indicate a sense of complacency. The
each interview. There were comments that
European. He estimated that the students
work of TME comes from a goal to end all
revealed attention to the mainstream ideas
at his current school were 60 percent
forms of oppression until there is a just
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society, so one would be hard pressed to able to go to a school that was out of my tural awareness be more likely to become
declare that there are no new challenges neighborhood and majority white, which high school students, college students, and
on the horizon. The statement about the was different for me at that time in the adults who not only celebrate diversity but
suburban school assumes that students 80s, especially living in [name deleted] also take action to demand social justice
in a predominantly black neighborhood...
with privileges of race and class are not when it is lacking? It seems fair to say that
I was never in a school with so many
in need of TME. This assumption perpetu- they likely will.
students of a different race from myself.
ates privilege when privileged students And some of the teachers, I’m not sure if Earlier in the interview, Ramona had
never experience the challenge to critically they were ready for that either. It wasn’t stated that her philosophy of teaching
examine the social conditions that give extreme, but I did experience some type was that all children can learn. She added
rise to oppression and privilege. Edward of racism. I didn’t have nightmares, but that all children will learn when all teach-
is well-meaning by indicating that even it was different. ers share this belief. Certainly, a large
in that suburb there likely are different Although Ramona remembered the teach- part of social justice education is every
cultures “to bridge”; however, the trouble ers’ racism as being not extreme, it was student having a competent teacher who
lies in not seeing how students with the enough for her to remember it. Although genuinely cares about every student and
most privileges and in homogeneous set- the words “racism” and “racist” never her/his achievements. Upon being asked to
tings are in great need of TME if they are surfaced elsewhere in this interview or share any additional words at the end of
ever to become allies in the struggles for anywhere in the other two, there were the interview, Ramona focused on the ideas
equity and social justice. multiple inferences to bias or ignorance in of personal growth and respect. It was an
Edward was delighted to share his the context of cultures and sometimes in important way to express how learning
thoughts and ideas. He had been an eager conjunction with the word “race.” multiculturalism is a journey of lifelong
learner as a student in the graduate pro- Ramona spoke of how the graduate learning from the head and the heart,
gram, and he always will be. As a math program had helped prepare her to become and Ramona has this strong commitment
teacher who knows and cares about what a mentor among teachers: to her own growth as she mentors other
students are learning regarding cultural teachers.
diversity in their novels from English lan- …through the MAT courses and me inter-
guage arts classes, he embodies what all acting with other students in that [unex- Mr. G.
posed to diverse cultures] mind frame … it
teachers need for becoming and being helped me understand. And that was one I interviewed Mr. G., a middle school
multicultural educators. of the reasons why I developed this great math teacher, in his school’s teachers’
interest in mentoring because I want to lounge on a Friday afternoon after classes
Ramona teach them through the lens that I have, had ended. It happened to be Valentine’s
to show them another view of looking at
Ramona, an English language arts Day, and I expressed my gratitude that
teaching and looking at kids from different
teacher, had recently transferred from he took time for the interview before go-
backgrounds...
one middle school to another when I ing home to be with his wife. He was 50
interviewed her in a public library. Her Ramona has become a leader among teach- years old and identified himself in terms
new assignment involved a combination ers, and her work of professional develop- of ethnicity/race/nationality as “White.” He
of teaching and administrative/mentor- ment for teachers clearly will have a strong grew up in a White suburb outside of the
ing duties, and she spoke of feeling a bit component of multicultural education. city where he was teaching. He estimated
overwhelmed with the combined workload White teachers who know nothing of the that the student population in the school
of both. She was 36 years old and identified racism that Ramona experienced as a child where he was teaching was 75 percent
herself in terms of ethnicity/race/national- will be fortunate to learn from Ramona, Hispanic and 25 percent Black. In contrast,
ity as “Black, African American.” She grew who will be firm and direct with them while the teachers were mainly White with a few
up in the same city where she was teach- being supportive and understanding. exceptions who were Hispanic or Black.
ing, in a neighborhood that she described When asked what goal she had set for When I asked Mr. G. to describe his
as middle-class but “rough around the her work in multicultural education, Ra- teaching philosophy, he replied, “I believe
edges.” The student population in her first mona spoke of fostering students’ aware- in having children construct their own
teaching assignment was majority African ness of diverse cultures: knowledge. I think that through that explo-
American with some Caribbean, and she ration they learn better.” As the discussion
I want to do more things to expose stu-
estimated that her second school was half turned toward multicultural education, he
dents to other cultures because I think
African American and half Hispanic. it’s rewarding for kids and it allows them recalled that the graduate program’s mis-
We had to speak quietly because we to see what else is out there … [spoke of sion was to serve urban schools and that
were in a library, but Ramona still spoke Multicultural Day in former school] … there was an emphasis “to try to get the
with passion. She was the only one of the “the students were so overwhelmed and children to think about real-world situa-
three interviewees to utter the word “rac- overjoyed to see all the different cultures tions and what’s going on in their life.” He
and learn from it. I think it’s an eye-
ism” or “racist,” which came only when she acknowledged that the program introduced
opening experience to learn about other
described her experience as a student in him to multicultural education theory
cultures, what they do, and why …
K-12 schools: but that teaching experience led him to a
This might appear to be more mainstream greater understanding.
Elementary school, I remember, was a
than transformative in multicultural When I asked Mr. G. to explain how
wonderful experience… Once I got into
education, but this kind of work provides his views on multicultural education had
middle school, it was a little different.
I was accepted into a magnet school students with a knowledge foundation for changed since leaving the program, he
program where I didn’t have to go to a and an appreciation of cultural diversity. turned toward the topic of social class:
school in my neighborhood, and I was Will middle school students who gain cul-
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
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So I guess what I realize is that it’s not so can continue to bring greater emphasis to der how their responses might be different.
much culture, it’s, one of the biggest things a multicultural education that is transfor- There are difficult questions for our society
I think we’re up against is socioeconomics. mative. The program ends with a portfolio to face, and all educators need to become
It’s a poverty thing, and, you know, kids
project that places a strong value on candi- multicultural educators dedicated to eq-
that I have, that I teach, haven’t had the
dates’ development of pedagogy for social uity and excellence in their work. They are
same resources that I had when I was
justice, equity, and democracy. The findings the teachers of future citizens, including
growing up… They don’t have access to
the arts although this is an arts school, showed that the three alumni directly or police officers. Instead of allowing sound
so they’re getting it here... indirectly affirmed this value in several bites to dominate the debates, educators
statements. need to prepare students to become critical
While emphasizing class, Mr. G. also stated
Third, there were varying emphases thinkers, skillful researchers, and active
that the challenges are not so much about
on culture, race, and class in the testimo- citizens who ask the tough questions, seek
culture. In this way he differed from the
nies. The program’s courses address these truth, and demand justice.
other two participants, who gave only brief
matters among more—gender, sexual ori- There is no solution in demonizing
mention to poverty or class while focusing
entation, abilities, and language diversity, either the police or the protesters. Hope lies
on culture and sometimes race. Why both
to name a few. The study’s findings are in growing a social movement that works
cannot be heavily prioritized is a question I
limited in how they can be generalized to urgently to understand how destructive
would ask if there were time and resources
all teacher education programs, but they forces of history are still with us and must
for second interviews or a focus group.
show how a program can learn from the be stopped. Dr. Martin Luther King in his
Near the end of the interview I asked
experiences and reflections of alumni. later speeches addressed the triple threat
Mr. G. what advice he would give pre-service
of racism, consumerism, and militarism.
teachers regarding multicultural education.
Discussion and Conclusions There is still a need to examine how these
His reply included the following:
forces work together to dehumanize people.
Two main questions arise from com-
… To remember that all children are hu- Wars continue to rage while racism builds
pleting this study. How can the graduate
man beings, and, you know, you can’t treat its concrete and metaphorical walls, and
anybody differently from anybody else. program promote transformative multicul- while neoliberal capitalism continues its
They need to know that you care about tural education across its curriculum? How race to the bottom for deregulation, priva-
them personally. But I don’t think this can alumni participate in fostering multi-
tization, and greater extremes of wealth
applies just to people of certain cultures; I cultural competence and effective pedagogy
and poverty.
think it applies to, you know, little humans for equity in pre-service teachers?
Meanwhile, corporate-driven educa-
in general. They want to be loved, they
Multicultural education is more than
want to be cared about, and as soon as tional reforms put pressure on teachers
just a topic to include in a teacher certi-
they know that you care, they drop some to teach to high-stakes tests that isolate
fication program. It is central to the de-
barriers and you’re able to get to them. content areas and prevent an integrated
velopment of a multicultural, multiracial
curriculum from opening young minds
Mr. G. stated that caring is something democracy. It is central to understanding
to complex social, political, and economic
that needs to be the same for all students. how diverse cultures in our globalized
problems. Parents and educators have
A large part of multicultural awareness world can live in solidarity and peace
organized efforts, though, to resist this
is that all young human beings have the rather than domination of the powerful
narrow interpretation of standards and
same basic need for caring adults in their over the vulnerable. Multicultural educa-
accountability and to demand alternatives
lives. It was clear to me that Mr. G.’s caring tion needs a central location within and
(Hagopian, 2014).
for students was genuine. He was commit- across the curriculum, and it must be more
Finally, teacher education programs
ted to students’ intellectual development than the traditional multicultural educa-
with commitments to social justice and
through constructivist learning methods, tion that stops after food, heroes, holidays,
equity can benefit from enlisting able and
and he was equally committed to their and contributions.
willing alumni in their work with pre-ser-
holistic development as human beings. Banks (1994) argued two decades
vice teachers (Wepner, Krute, & Jacobs,
ago for a multicultural education that
2009). The three alumni who volunteered
Relevance of Findings transforms curricula and leads to pro-
for this study are committed to their
gressive social action, and it still needs to
The findings from the three interviews own growth as multicultural educators,
happen. The systemic racism of today is
provide helpful information as I continue and they have plenty to share from their
documented in the literature of the school-
to work with colleagues in rethinking how experiences that can help new teacher
to-prison pipeline (Allen & White-Smith,
to improve the graduate program’s courses candidates to prepare themselves to be-
2014; Orozco, 2013; Wilson, 2014). The
that we teach with regard to multicultural come critical educators in a multicultural
recent police killings of unarmed African
education. The three themes that emerged democracy.
American men and subsequent acquittal of
in the testimonies will be important to the The message becomes more credible to
the police involved have led to a national
course improvements. pre-service teachers when it comes from a
uprising, and educators cannot ignore
First, it is clear that the program classroom teacher who in recent years was
what is on the minds of concerned people
did introduce the pre-service and novice in their shoes and not from only a book and
of color and their White allies.
teachers to the theories of multicultural a professor. Growing a cadre of alumni who
I conducted the interviews for this
education. Program faculty members are are serious about a transformative multi-
study after the death of Trayvon Martin
in the process of bringing these theories cultural education is a project worthy of
and before the deaths of Michael Brown
more directly into the pre-service teachers’ patient, hard work.
and Eric Garner. If I were to have waited
initial practice in microteachings.
until now to interview the alumni, I won-
Second, it appears that the program
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References democracy, and civic courage. Lanham, MD: Americans as perpetrators in the school-to-
Rowman & Littlefield. prison pipeline. Journal of the Association of
Abendroth, M. (2014). Occupy activists, moved Gay, G. (2010). Culturally responsive teach- Mexican American Educators, 7(3), 75-84.
or not by secondary teachers. International ing (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Spring, J. (2012). Deculturalization and the
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