Below I highlight some of the key findings from my study that relate to the mothers’ search for high quality teachers. The findings come from my analysis of the in-depth, multiple interviews I conducted with 14 local, African American mothers. The mothers all characterized themselves as having a low income or being working class. All of the mothers sent their children to traditional LAUSD elementary schools, but chose either traditional, charter, Catholic, or Afrocentric private schools for their children once they entered middle school.

Doubts about teachers’ qualifications & commitment

Almost all the mothers I interviewed spoke of urban school teachers being unqualified and ineffective in terms of lacking proper credentials, not challenging their kids, or not assigning enough homework. Over and over mothers described teachers as not being committed to teaching in the inner city, and instead, just teaching to collect a paycheck and waiting for a more attractive job opportunity to come along. The mothers’ comments reflect the fact that LAUSD officials disproportionately assign less experienced educators to traditional public schools located in the inner city. For instance, a mother from a traditional middle school said, "We get second rate teachers, we don’t get the best."

Several mothers who have children they described as "advanced" also said that public school teachers could not "challenge" them enough. They felt this hindered their children’s ability to become academically competitive. The mothers further spoke of teachers not doing enough to "reach" students, or attempting to "stifle them."

Claims that teachers do not care & charges of bias

Mothers’ perceptions that many urban public school teachers are uncommitted to the teaching profession, and/or uncommitted to teaching inner-city students, contributed to them contending that these same teachers do not "care" about their children. In addition, 12 of the 14 women maintained that public school teachers often stigmatize and discriminate against inner-city school children based on their biased beliefs and assumptions. They said the teachers’ negative views often relate to the students’ racial and class background or the fact that many come from families headed by single mothers or alternative caregivers. The three mothers who have children with disabilities indicated that they have a heightened concern about teachers who strike them as uncaring and intolerant.

The data shows that mothers perceive that public school teachers stereotype, dismiss, or penalize their children, and other African American students, because of their race and class status, and the deficiencies they associate with being Black and lacking economic resources.

Almost all of the mothers stressed the power teachers have to promote or undermine their children’s self-esteem. Teachers also have the power to complement or thwart the mothers’ efforts to nurture their children’s positive racial identities. The negative experiences that the mothers said they have had with uncaring and biased teachers appear to cut at the core of their fundamental parenting values and goals. They also represent a deep violation of the mothers’ "trust" that teachers will advance rather than impede their children’s educational and emotional development.

A Catholic school mother, discussed her thoughts about how public school teachers respond to the inner-city students in her South Central LA community. She stated, "I don’t want to say they give up, but they just don’t give it their all." Several other mothers more explicitly linked their charges of public school teachers not caring about urban students to racial bias. For instance, a mother from an Afrocentric private school contended:

A lot of teachers are from very different areas and bring their own issues into a classroom setting. Well if you know you’re not particularly crazy about African American children, than why would you accept a job in a predominantly African American area? Just so you can get your feet wet to climb up and go wherever you want to go? No, it doesn’t work like that!

In total, the data shows that mothers perceive that public school teachers stereotype, dismiss, or penalize their children, and other African American students, because of their race and class status, and the deficiencies they associate with being Black and lacking economic resources. This significantly contributes to the women’s overall critique of the public school system.

Sympathy and support for teachers

Despite the mothers’ severe criticisms of public school teachers, many of them expressed sympathy for the hard work that teaching in the inner-city entails. Some also mentioned the positive interactions they have had with educators. They further recommended that district officials increase teachers’ salary and support teachers in order to make their job easier. For instance, a Catholic mother explained:

I think most people that are teachers are really trying to be good teachers. They don’t have a lot to work with, . . . I believe that it takes a special kind of person to take on that job, to even want to do that . . . I think it’s hard for them, so I think that the administrators would have to provide more incentives to keep them interested and keep them motivated. And allow them what they need in order to give it back to the kids.

Overall, the mothers’ comments reveal that they perceive good teachers as those who are responsive to children and parents, committed to educating their students well, and qualified to do so. Data further show that the women value teachers who care enough to take interest in their students’ well-being and are willing to show some sensitivity to the challenges or special needs that impact their lives.

Most of the women’s sentiments are summarized by a conclusion asserted by a traditional middle school mother who stated that if, as a teacher, "you don’t have the love and concern for children, then you don’t do a good job. And that’s with any school, private (or) LAUSD."

Lessons for Educators

For the women in this study, being caring and tolerant are essential quality factors when it comes to assessing teacher competency. The mothers’ narratives stress the need for teachers to confront and overcome the biases they may have about low-income and working class students of color and single parent families. Teacher education programs should play a large role in this by integrating activities and courses geared toward teachers becoming more culturally sensitive and self-aware throughout their preparation programs. Student teachers can also be educated about the sociopolitical context of the environment in which they work. Teacher educators and teachers themselves must increasingly recognize that teachers have the power to foster or undermine children’s self-esteem and their social and psychological development. Thus, more attention should also be placed on assessing teachers’ ideologies and fundamental beliefs about students’ learning potential in addition to their instructional practices. Making these types of improvements is essential to restoring parents’ confidence in urban, public schools.

Cooper, C.W. (2001). School choice reform and the standpoint of African American mothers: The search for power and opportunity in the educational marketplace. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of California, Los Angeles.