To Belong & Be Heard: Male Educators of Color Navigating TK-12 School Settings

ABSTRACT

This paper sheds light on the professional experiences and identities of male educators of color (MEC) participating in monthly group gatherings throughout an academic year in a geographic region where male educators of color represent an inordinately low percentage of the overall school and district wide faculty. This paper examines how a group of MEC members perceived the value and importance of professional spaces that allowed for open discourse and community building through collectively organized and planned monthly gatherings. The researchers opened the group up to include individuals in their preservice teaching years to those reaching the height of school leadership or near retirement, sustaining dialogue across undergraduate students, preservice teachers, practicing teachers, school and district administrators, and university faculty. Discussants questioned policies and practices that presented barriers to male educators of color in systems of education and explored ways to navigate challenges. Gatherings allowed participants to belong and be heard in a setting that recognized accomplishments, shared concerns, and cultivated a supportive community. We posit that communicative action groups such as MEC provides deliberative interaction and critical professional development for members to reflect upon and deconstruct experiences in TK-12 settings.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ The Issaquah Protocol practices used for this project were developed by Nancy Mohr, Deborah Bambino, and Daniel Baron. See Appendix C.