Standing in the Gap: Black Educators Speak on Black Students, Disproportionality, and Special Education

This narrative inquiry highlights the voices of eight Black educators who serve Black public-school students receiving special education services. Sixteen interviews were conducted, and grounded theory analytic procedures were applied to examine participants’ professional experiences with factors related to disproportionality. Participants also explained how they characterize their professional agency and identified nine social and institutional structures they commonly confront in their efforts to serve as professional advocates, cultural mediators, culturally responsive practitioners, and role models for their students. Considerations for future research and recommended changes in practice are discussed.