Despite the growing diversity of American students, the teaching workforce remains disproportionately White. A recent study uses twelve years of administrative data from Maryland to examine the factors contributing to the state's chronic shortage of Black teachers.
The study highlights the alarming attrition rates of teaching students of color, who are more likely to discontinue their pursuit of the teaching profession than their White counterparts due to financial challenges, lack of support, and discriminatory hiring practices (the study did not comment on academic challenges).
Data from the study shows that 37 percent of K–12 students in Maryland are Black, versus only 21 percent of teachers. For a further breakdown, 35 percent of high school graduates, a third of college enrollees, about a quarter of college graduates, and 16 percent of certified teachers are Black. In contrast, White individuals comprise 44 percent of the student body, 46 percent of high school graduates and college enrollees, more than half of college graduates, nearly 7 in 10of certified teachers, and 66 percent of the teacher workforce. Notably, these disparities are more pronounced in affluent districts, indicating systemic barriers to entry, less advancement for potential teachers of color, and so-called “leaks” in the teacher pipeline.
To address these challenges, the authors recommend several steps: The first is implementing race-conscious strategies to strategically distribute the limited number of Black teachers to ensure that at least one is teaching between kindergarten and third grade at each school to ensure that Black students experience representation. Prior research suggests that having a Black teacher increases Black students’ high school graduation and college enrollment rates by 13 percent and 19 percent, respectively, and is associated with improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, and increased aspirations for higher education among all students.
A second suggestion is to increase teachers of color through early teacher residency programs. For example, the study includes related research on the impact of the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM), a program that provides early exposure to teaching and the opportunity to earn college-level credits toward an undergraduate degree in teaching. That analysis found that the initiative was especially effective in increasing Black girls' entry into teaching—boosting numbers by more than three quarters compared to 38 percent for White girls.
One component missing from the study that could help forge more teachers of color is ensuring they have the preparation and support (financial or otherwise) to complete all the steps necessary to enter the profession. Promising strategies include providing scholarships and financial incentives for aspiring teachers and creating supportive, robust teacher preparation programs. Another effort that could make huge strides for creating diverse teachers is funding specifically for HBCU and MSI teaching programs. A similar program available now is the Augustus F. Hawkins Center for Excellence under the U.S. Department of Education, however they have only supported ten institutions.
Another effort that mentioned by the study that could disproportionately benefit teachers of color is a renewed National Teacher Corps. While the programs in the 1970s were efficient in recruiting teachers from low-income communities for low-income schools, it lacked the financial incentive and scholarships that its replacement, Teach For America, provides now. A Teacher Corps with the same goals and an increased bandwidth to each state with a combination of stipends and tuition coverage could be the major shift required. These programs are making great efforts, but they must be expanded to transform the workforce.
Ultimately, this study focuses on Maryland’s teacher pathways over the course of twelve years to explore the gaps on recruiting more teachers of color. Based off the data, researchers suggest that strategies, such as representation, dual enrollment, and financial incentives are efforts that should be expanded and can significantly shift teacher demographics.
SOURCE: David Blazar, Max Anthenelli, Wenjing Gao, Ramon Goings, Seth Gershenson, “Disparate Pathways: Understanding Racial Disparities in Teaching,” Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, EdWorkingPaper (April 2024).
