Teacher Diversity Explained: Why It Matters, and How We Got Here

The Reality—Students Need More Teachers of Color

While America’s student body has grown more diverse over time, the teachers working with them have remained overwhelmingly white. More than half of public school students are students of color, but teachers of color make up only 22.4% of the public school teacher workforce.

Research overwhelmingly shows that this lack of teachers of color is an issue and holds back students. Students of all races have better perceptions of teachers of color. Many parents also know the value of a diverse faculty. And they feel the impact when teachers of color leave their children’s schools.

Closing the Belief Gap

Teachers of color are particularly essential for students of color, who are often subjected to negative implicit bias from white teachers.

These biases cause white teachers to underestimate what students of color can achieve, making teachers of color invaluable to helping students of color fulfill their academic potential. This is especially true for Black teachers and students. Black teachers chip away at the pervasive “belief gap” by holding different beliefs about students; for example, they’re much more likely to see their students as college-bound than white teachers. Bright Black students taught by Black teachers are more likely to get into gifted-and-talented classrooms.

By increasing the number of teachers of color that are in classrooms closing the belief gap, students that may have been previously subjected to the prejudice of lowered expectations and lack of confidence in their abilities will not only reap the rewards during that year of school, but far into their future educational careers—and beyond. 

Teachers of Color Drive Success

Across the board, Black teachers hold higher expectations for Black students, which we know to be an essential component of success for students of color. They’re also less likely to be suspended by Black teachers. Not surprisingly, these higher expectations are associated with better student outcomes. Black students who have been taught by at least one Black teacher during their school career increased their academic achievement. They were also more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college. 

These benefits also hold true for low-income students. Having even just one Black teacher in grades 3-5 increases the likelihood that low-income students aspire to attend a four-year college. While it is thought there are similar effects for Latinx students and students of other races and ethnicities when taught by teachers who share their background, research is limited, partly due to small sample sizes for teachers of color who are not Black.

The Keys to Improving Teacher Diversity

With the benefits of teachers of color well established, and our student populations growing ever more diverse, it is critical that schools across the country find ways to attract and retain these educators. However, due to a lack of adequate pay, poor work conditions, unsupportive leadership, lack of professional development, and a host of other reasons, teachers of color are leaving the teaching field entirely at a greater rate than their white counterparts.

Changing these trends will take a fundamental, systematic change, but it can be done. Active recruitment of diverse teachers can go a long way toward improving diversity. Increasing the number of principals and leadership figures of color is also beneficial for teacher retention and improving school culture. Long-term investment in teacher development and support is also vital to ensure that our teachers of color are set up for success for years and years to come.