Listening and Learning from Mexican and Puerto Rican Single Mothers of Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Schools face increasing diversity within their student population while teachers remain predominately White, female, and middle class. These contrasting demographics demand that teacher preparation programs produce culturally competent teachers who are able to work effectively with students and families from backgrounds different from their own. For teacher candidates who may lack a critical view of society, exposure to the experiences of diverse families and discussions related to the impact of such experiences on parent involvement and school personnel interaction is essential. This paper describes experiences of discrimination faced by Latina single mothers of children with a disability. A discussion of results and implications for teacher educators with suggestions for use of findings with teacher candidates is included.