Emergent Themes from the 2020 KDP Diversity Summit: Teacher Educators’ Awareness of Factors That Support and Retain Prospective Teachers of Color

Abstract

In 2020, Kappa Delta Pi’s Diversity Summit convened professional conversation groups to explore recruitment and retention factors influencing prospective teachers of color. Information from groups was interpreted qualitatively; analysis and findings suggested the following emergent themes: (1) Importance of different perspectives and voices, (2) Recognition of systemic racism as experienced by prospective teachers of color, and (3) Strategies used within teacher education programs to address barriers and cultivate successful solutions for prospective teachers of color.

Keywords:

• Teacher recruitment
• teacher preparation
• teacher retention
• teacher candidates of color
• systemic racism
• trauma
• asset-based teaching and learning
• microaggressions