A CRITIQUE OF THE TEACHER DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM FROM THE LENS OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY

Abstract

In the context of teacher education, the professional development continuum equates with the structured, on-going learning development that all educators pursue to grow personally and collectively from entry to exit from the profession (Darling-Hammond, Hyler & Gardner, 2017). For teachers of color (TOC), the traditional approaches to teacher preparation and continuing professional development otherwise known as the teacher development continuum neither align with their expectations and historical experiences nor serve the interest of minority P-12 students. Contrary to Nieto’s (2014) assertion that teaching with integrity resides in the teacher’s self-hood, the continuum does not reflect the identity of the teachers of color or fit their social justice mindset. This mismatch creates barriers to their effective training, growth, and development, thereby doing them more harm than good. As noted by social justice scholars, the teacher development continuum represents another feigned attempt used to maintain White’s power and strongholds within the educational system to support racist ideology and Eurocentric beliefs which marginalize the minoritized populations (Rogers-Ard, Knaus, Epstein & Mayfield, 2012; Ugwuagbula, 2020).This article interrogates the structure and outcomes of the teacher development continuum in relationship to the needs and identity of teachers of color, using the critical race theory as a theoretical framework.