Where are the teachers of color? Getting cut out and lured away.

We desperately need teachers of color. But throughout the U.S., we have not gotten them, despite decades of knowing this and making massive investments to attract them. Teachers have remained predominantly white, with the national average hovering around 80% as the percentage of students of color in our schools steadily rises. Research repeatedly has shown that racially diversifying the teaching workforce benefits all students, who experience positive outcomes in achievement, social skills, and behavior (Goldhaber, Theobald, & Tien, 2019; Redding, 2019).

Districts have sought to recruit and hire teachers of color in creative ways. Teacher residency programs have expanded — to the tune of $350 million from the federal government’s Teacher Quality Partnership since 2014. These programs often reduce barriers that prevent teachers of color from entering the profession by providing extra preparation and long-term contracts. Some districts even hire teachers from overseas or offer lucrative contracts to out-of-state preservice teachers. However, these initiatives are insufficient to eliminate the large gap in teacher-student demographics.

To disrupt the status quo, policy makers need to be strategic about how to recruit potential teachers into the profession. One promising route is to look even earlier in the teacher pipeline.