Small but Mighty: A Community Engaged Study on Black Teachers in Allegheny County

What is Community-Engaged Research?

Community-engaged research incorporates the perspectives and input of members of the community that is being studied, to ensure the research reflects their lived experience and feels relevant and useful. This approach stems from the belief that community members are the experts on their own contexts and experiences, and deserve to be centered in the research. Our research team was advised by a Research Advisory Council (RAC) and Research Practice Learning Community (RPLC). These groups included teachers, as well as leaders of educator diversity efforts, higher ed, and teacher education. They informed every phase of our research project, from the design to the creation and dissemination of our report.

Credit: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Critically, the PAR approach involves researchers taking action towards achieving liberation based on the findings from the study. This microsite highlighting Black educator voices represents one step towards this vision.

Unique Contributions of Black Teachers:

  • Black teachers offer Allegheny County students and schools several unique and important contributions, which are informed by both their identity and their purpose for choosing this profession.
  • Black teachers build and maintain special connections with Black students, driven by shared backgrounds and experiences. They invest time and energy intentionally, forming strong relationships with students.
  • Black teachers have unique pedagogical approaches that are rooted in respect and their belief in student’s abilities and potential. They use culturally relevant pedagogies and practices, maintain high expectations and employ alternative discipline strategies.

“My pedagogy looks like this because of the students that I’m teaching. . . . I have to be responsive to the students that I have. Yes, everything’s going to look and sound different in my classroom because I’m going to give it to these kids the way that I know it’s going to do better for them.”

Credit: Education Week

Challenges of Black Teachers:

  • Black teachers in Allegheny County face many challenges that impact their experiences as educators. 
  • Participants shared that they experience both systemic and interpersonal racism, which work together to create and maintain an environment that poses challenges like experiencing heavier workloads and unjust treatment from colleagues. 
  • Specific challenges they experienced include: racial microaggressions, harm caused by white colleagues, unjust treatment and retaliation from white district and school administration, and heavier workloads than their peers.

“When you look at it, the system is just what you call tainted. . . for Black people in general. A constant oppression of Black people. . . . In teaching, I believe the system is so corrupt in terms of the mindset of White people, that they don’t want us there.”

Reasons Black Teachers Stay:

  • Despite the numerous challenges they face, several current Black teachers expressed that they plan to stay in the profession in Allegheny County. 
  • Participants shared various factors that contribute to their desire to continue teaching, with the most major reason being their love for students. 
  • Other factors that helped retain teachers include strong school leaders and positive school culture, as well as supportive and affirming networks (especially those created for Black educators) which some of our participants were able to experience. The fact that teachers had invested significant time and energy in their careers also influenced decisions to stay.

“Last year was my first year. . . [so some] students didn’t know me, and they would be like, “Are you a teacher here? You’re a teacher?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” And at one point, one of the students just started clapping and was like, “Yes, yes! We need some Black teachers. We have a Black teacher.” And I was just like, wow. And to see them just be so just happy about it, and for them to know that this is a good thing and just to not hide it, to be proud about it and be like, yes, we need more Black teachers, was definitely a plus. Definitely what keeps me.”

For more info, or to download the report, please see the full webpage for this study.