ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

Black Female Educator Retention: Exploring Conditions Needed to Thrive

by

Carol Eleze Ford Battle

Doctor of Education in Educational LeadershipUniversity of California San Diego, 2022 California State University, San Marcos, 2022

Professor Amanda Datnow, Chair

Although historical to present day data show that Black female teachers make a significant impact on all students, this group, already underrepresented in the profession, leave teaching at higher rates than their counterparts. Current literature reveals that racism, sexism, microaggressions, lack of peer support, lack of administrative support and harmful policies are driving this Black teacher exodus. However, we know little about what Black women educators who do persevere in the profession attribute to their career longevity. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine Black female educator longevity in K-12 environments. The frameworks of Black Feminism (Nash, 2019) and Darling-Hammond’s (2021) Bridge to Thriving Framework were used to investigate how Black female educators perceive their ability to thrive despite surviving encounters with oppression. Additionally, this study sought their perspective on what overall professional thriving might look like. This study involved a series of in-depth, semi-structured, interviews with seven Black, female veteran educators who work in predominantly white settings. Interview data were coded for themes yielding insight into experiences fueled by race, gender, and relationships. The findings of this study indicated that all participants had experiences they attribute to the intersectionality of being Black and female. The importance of community in terms of advocating on behalf of students, relationships with fellow educators and administrators as well as a sense of professional agency and passion for the profession were factors they attributed to their longevity. Ultimately, listening to and learning from Black female veteran educators yielded invaluable insight into both the problems and potential solutions affecting Black female teacher retention. Implications for policy and practice include the need for diversifying teacher education programs and informing schools and districts of practices, policies, and financial resources that support environments where Black female teachers can thrive.