Retaining Teachers of Color: A Pressing Problem and a Potential Strategy for “Hard-to-Staff” Schools

Abstract

Given calls to diversify the teaching workforce, this review examines research on retention and turnover of teachers of color, focusing on new teachers because they leave at disproportionately high rates. Reviewing 70 studies, the authors found that (a) recent national studies identify turnover rates for teachers of color are now higher than those for White teachers; (b) policy-amenable school-level conditions related to financial, human, social, and cultural capital can affect retention; (c) teachers of color are more likely than Whites to work and remain in “hard-to-staff” urban schools with high proportions of students from low-income and nondominant racial and cultural communities; and (d) factors affecting the retention of teachers of color can contribute to staffing urban schools with quality teachers, including teachers’ humanistic commitments, innovative approaches in the professional preparation of teachers of color, and the presence of multicultural capital in schools.

Special Issue Race Ethnicity and Education: Initial teacher education: developments, dilemmas and challenges

“…References Achinstein, B., Ogawa, R. T., Sexton, D. & Freitas, C. (2010). Retaining teachers of color: A pressing problem and a potential strategy for "hard-to-staff" schools.…”

“…While clearly not unique to this particular time period (Dilworth & Brown, 2008), one solution offered for tackling this dilemma in the contemporary context, is to recruit and retain more people of color in the teaching field (Achinstein, Ogawa, Sexton & Freitas, 2010). The argument here is that K-12 students of color have increased levels of achievement when their teachers share a similar racial, cultural and/or linguistic background as their students (Villegas & Davis, 2008).…”

“…Second, teachers of color must be recognized as both individuals and members of historic groups that likely possess knowledge and experiences that are different from but complementary to those found in the dominant society. And third, programs must take care not to essentialize preservice teachers of color but recognize that all teachers-regardless of their background or race-require appropriate and relevant teacher training if they are to acquire the skills, knowledge and dispositions needed to become teachers committed to relevant, responsive and socially just teaching.References Achinstein, B., Ogawa, R. T., Sexton, D. & Freitas, C. (2010). Retaining teachers of color: A pressing problem and a potential strategy for "hard-to-staff" schools.…”

An examination of individual teacher engagement and school climate characteristics that influence highly effective veteran teachers to remain teaching in low-performing schools.

“…Some researchers attributed this to "humanistic commitments" to students, particularly student of color (Achinstein, Ogawa, & Sexton, 2010).…”

“…This section of the current study will examine teacher characteristics and how they influence teacher attrition. Teacher characteristics include age, teaching experience, gender, and grade level (Darling-Hammond & Baratz, 2007;Dreyfus, 2004;Grissmer & Kirby, 1994;Ingersoll, 2001;Ingersoll et al, 2014;Henke et al, 2000;Hughes, 2012), and teacher ethnicity (Achinstein, Ogawa, & Sexton, 2010;Broughman & Rollefson, 2000;Cherng & Halpin, 2016;Hanushek et al, 2004;Ingersoll, 2001;Ingersoll & May, 2012;Ingersoll et al, 2014;Marinell & Coca, 2013;Murnane, Singer, Willett, Kemple, & Olsen, 1991). Finally, this research will examine teacher quality and effectiveness and their relationship with teacher attrition.…”