Supporting and Sustaining a Diverse Teacher Workforce
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| Title: | Supporting and Sustaining a Diverse Teacher Workforce |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Desiree Carver-Thomas, Melanie Leung-Gagné, Emma García, Learning Policy Institute |
| Source: | Learning Policy Institute. 2025. |
| Availability: | Learning Policy Institute. 1530 Page Mill Road Suite 200, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Tel: 650-332-9797; e-mail: info@learningpolicyinstitute.org; Web site: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 83 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Intended Audience: | Policymakers |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Federal Legislation, Higher Education, Educational Legislation, National Surveys, Elementary Secondary Education, Teacher Surveys, Minority Group Teachers, Diversity (Faculty), Teaching Experience, Race, Ethnicity, Disproportionate Representation, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Persistence, Faculty Mobility, Teaching Conditions, Preservice Teacher Education, Preservice Teachers, Alternative Teacher Certification, Access to Education, Teacher Salaries, Mentors, Faculty Development, Beginning Teachers, Educational Policy, Teacher Education Programs, Public School Teachers, Sustainability |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: | Higher Education Act Title II |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | National Teacher and Principal Survey (NCES) |
| Abstract: | A growing body of research demonstrates the vital importance of a diverse teacher workforce that can support student achievement and school climate, while enriching the whole school environment. Despite growing recognition of the importance of building a more racially and ethnically diverse teacher workforce, the teacher workforce plateaued at about 20% teachers of color between 2017 and 2020, raising questions about how teachers of color are entering the profession, how they experience teaching, and what would sustain them in the classroom. Using nationally representative teacher survey data, this study investigates the representation of teachers of color in the workforce--who stays, who leaves, and who would like to leave--and the conditions associated with their retention. The study primarily draws on data from the 2017-18 and 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), the 2021-22 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), and teacher education data from 2008-09 to 2020-21 collected pursuant to Title II of the Higher Education Act. Although recruiting more teachers of color into the profession can help to increase the diversity of the workforce, it is equally important to retain those teachers and the veteran teachers of color who are already in classrooms. Through descriptive analyses, this study finds that teachers of color were less likely to have access to the conditions associated with longevity in the profession. Teachers of color, compared to their peers, entered the profession through pathways offering less preservice preparation, taught in more challenging school settings, and reported limited access to competitive compensation and supportive mentoring. They were more likely to face higher financial burdens throughout preparation and while they were teachers, and they reported a high level of stress related to their debt. All these factors are associated with higher turnover rates. Indeed, teachers of color were more likely than White teachers to consider transferring schools or leaving the teaching profession entirely. Policymakers could work to provide more teachers, including teachers of color, with the resources that are shown to improve retention for all teachers. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED678918 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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