On Becoming and Being Faculty-Leaders in Urban Education and also Being African- American...Seems Promising

Seven African-American women and men faculty members at a Southeastern urban research universityreflect on their collective experiences of creating an intellectual community and spearheading an urbanteacher education initiative within their School of Education . Employing a qualitative self-study and projectreflection approach, the authors situate themselves within the historical trajectory of the African-Americanstruggle for education, emphasizing the problems and promises confronting contemporary urban educators.Highlighting their role in launching the Training and Retaining Urban Student Teachers (T.R.U.S.T.)Initiative in the Birmingham City Schools, the authors conclude that the future of urban education ispredicated on the capacity of contemporary African-American educators to forge effective alliances firstwith one another, and then with other partners in higher education, urban school districts, the localcommunity, and national educational organizations

Unmasking subtle and concealed aspects of parent involvement: perspectives from African-American parents in the urban south

Focus group findings from 34 African American parents in an urban southern school district unmask subtle and concealed aspects of involvement. In contrast to formalized school-sponsored parent activities, involvement is described by participants as their encompassing a physical presence at the school to monitor their children's behavior, receiving timely communication from teachers, helping with homework, and being an advocate for their children