A new report from the Albert Shanker Institute in Washington, D.C., examines the state of teacher diversity in the nation’s public schools. As students in the nation’s public schools are increasing becoming more segregated by race, slight progress has been made in increasing the number and percentage of minority teachers. From 1987 to 2012, the percentage of minority teachers in the nation’s public schools has increased from 12 percent to 17 percent. However, it must be noted that minority students now account for about half of all public school students.
The report found that minority teachers are being hired in large numbers across the United States. But a major problem is retention. Minority teachers are more likely than White teachers to leave the profession.
Of particular concern is that in every one of the nine cities featured in this study, the percentage of Black teachers declined from 2002 to 2012. In some cities, including New Orleans and Washington, D.C., the number of Black teachers was down more than 24 percent during the period.
The full report, The State of Teacher Diversity in American Education, may be downloaded by clicking here.
