Parent Engagement and Schooling: Examining Black Parents' Experiences in the Greater Toronto Area

Within the dominant discourse, Black parents have been positioned as disinterested in the school system, their involvement analyzed from a deficit approach, and barriers to their engagement not fully examined. This research utilized Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) to examine the engagement of three Black parents in the Greater Toronto Area, their experiences navigating the school system, the challenges and tensions they experienced, and the strategies they employed. The study used a narrative inquiry approach to examine and explore their experiences. The findings reveal that Black parents, contrary to the dominant discourse, are advocates for their children. The study also highlights the significance of race in the relationship of Black parents with schools, and the ways in which this impacts their engagement. The findings of this study will be important to teachers, teacher education programs, school leaders, administrators and all stakeholders in education.M.A