EP 54: Dr. Tiffany Lachelle | An Inside Look into the Exodus of US Black Teachers to the UAE

How did there come to be so few African American educators in the US PK-12 system? In 1950, half of all Black professionals in the United States (US) were teachers, compared to less than a quarter of white professionals (Cole, 1986). Yet, according to the National Center of Educational Statistics, of the 3.8 million teachers in the US teaching profession during the 2017/18 school year, African American teachers only represented 250,000. African American teachers are entering the education system, but factors contributing to why we leave are at the center of many educational scholars' research agendas.   

In partnership with the Community of Scholars Program (COSP) at the University of Minnesota, in this episode, listen as Tiffany Lachelle takes you through her attrition story. She reveals details about her decision, and the decision of some other African American teachers in the United Arab Emirates, to leave the US  PK-12 profession for teaching opportunities abroad. The full transcript of this episode can be found on SPARK.

Part 1: Introduction
Dubai to Amsterdam
Part 2: Study Abroad as an Identity (Re)formation-2:47 
Part 3: Research Question and the Background of Black American Teachers- 6:08
Part 4: Black American Expatriates- James Baldwin-  8:50
Amsterdam to Detroit
Part 5: Background of the International School Market- 14:06
Part 6: Safety as a Factor to Remain in the United Arab Emirates- 20:00
Detroit to St. Louis
Part 7: Podcasting  as Storytelling: Where are the Teacher Conversations? - 23:20
Part 8: Significant Layovers between Departures and Arrivals - I'm Home- 28:30


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(A)Broad in Education is produced by Tiffany Lachelle Smith, Editing by Layne Bower, Music by Reallionaire Jream. You can access Lady Justice on his Post Cards Album on Sound Cloud. Music by Pixabay and Epedimic Sound. 

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