Dangers Unforeseen: Inequity in Contemporary Teacher Assignment Practices

Abstract

Research shows that Black teachers are severely underrepresented in Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs within secondary schools. This literature review expands the concept of “Teacher Trackingâ€, originally coined by Finley (1984), to develop a better understanding of how this phenomenon disproportionately affects Black teachers. This work draws from sociological, political, historical, statistical, and organizational theory literature to further develop the “Teacher Tracking†conversation. Through in-depth analysis of existing research this work introduces six contributory factors to the phenomena, including teacher experience, credentials, residence, internal school politics, race, and racism. This research presents significant evidence of racial discrimination in teacher assignment practices suggesting that race and racism could be the most influential factors contributing to “Teacher Trackingâ€. This research has significant implications for district assignment policies, leadership preparation programs, and school administrative practices in a pursuit of social justice leadership.

Keywords: teacher tracking, teacher assignment