Developing a more culturally diverse teaching force is one of the most important tasks facing the education system in the United States. Yet, in the midst of this challenge, little is known about who these teachers might be or where they might come from. We Got Next: Urban Education and the Next Generation of Black Teachers illustrates the journeys that Black pre-service teachers travel in their attempts to become educators. By looking at their educational life histories ¿ their schooling experiences, teaching philosophies, and personal motivation ¿ this book discovers what compels them to become teachers and the struggles and successes they encounter along the way. With texture and care, We Got Next helps professionals, policymakers, and teacher educators to understand what draws young African Americans toward the teaching profession and how to help them get there.

Lynnette Mawhinney is Associate Professor of Urban Education at The College of New Jersey and a Fulbright Scholar. Her research focuses on the professional and educational lives of current and aspiring urban teachers. Her work has been published in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Education and Urban Society, and other venues. A former secondary English language arts teacher in Philadelphia, Dr. Mawhinney holds a PhD in urban education from Temple University

Contents: Carver University and Teacher Education - Freshman Year: Thinking About Teaching - Sophomore Year: Entering Teacher Education - Junior Year: Practicing Teacher - Senior Year: Certified Teacher - We Got Next: Passing the Torch - Afterword: An Invitation to Dialogue About the Teaching Profession.