| Summary: | This collective case study utilized a dual conceptual framework of Critical Race/Latino Critical Theory and Social Capital theory to examine the perceptions of PK-12 Latino educators (specifically, educators of Mexican-American descent) regarding their personal experiences as students in the PK-12 milieu, and how those perceptions impacted their consideration of education as a career. From the data, the following themes emerged: 1) the Role of Relational Support, with the subthemes of: a) Educators, b) Family, and c) Community; and 2) the Role of Institutional Support, with the subthemes of: a) Increased Student Expectations, b) Building Capacity, and c) Cultural and Socioeconomic Awareness and Validation. The implications of this inquiry could affect both K-12 institutions and higher education institutions as they analyze and subsequently modify or eliminate existing practices to infuse the support necessary to address the inverse growth of PK-12 Latino educators relative to the American population as a whole.
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