ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. In the United States today, the teaching force remains predominantly White-an institutional feature the American public can no longer afford to overlook. As Angela Y. Davis wrote, it is true that particular manifestations of racism, such as legal racial segregation, have been eliminated. The demographic gap between teachers and students reflects how the institutional life of racism has dominated the profession. CRT provides a helpful lens for analyzing the skewed racial representation of the teaching force and conceptualizing how it might be addressed. Implicitly, most teacher preparation programs are designed mainly with traditional-age White students in mind. Fasching-Varner viewed such restrictive conceptions of antidiscrimination as interest convergence. This book unpacks the complexities, nuances, and questions surrounding the demographic imperative and provides theoretical and practical guidance on how to recruit, retain, and support a more diverse and effective teaching force.