Special Report
Special Report

Strategies for Building a Diverse Staff

December 4, 2023
Educators listen to Rose Chu's presentation at the Edifying, Elevating, and Uplifting Teachers of Color conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 20, 2023.
Educators listen to Rose Chu's presentation at the Edifying, Elevating, and Uplifting Teachers of Color conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 20, 2023.
Andrea Ellen Reed for Education Week
Research shows that having diverse teachers in K-12 schools is beneficial to all students, particularly those who are also from diverse backgrounds. This special report delves into the complex landscape of staff diversity in the teacher workforce, addressing key issues related to recruiting and retaining teachers of color. Explore the challenges faced by school districts in recruiting teachers that reflect the demographics of their student body and identify techniques districts can employ. Learn the importance of investing in retention initiatives, including career growth opportunities and mentorship programs.
  • Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
    Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
    Brian Palmer for Education Week
    Recruitment & Retention How to Find—and Keep—a Diverse Team of Teachers
    Principals and district leaders believe diversifying the educator workforce is important—but recruitment and retention often prove tricky.
    Mark Lieberman, December 4, 2023
    •
    8 min read
    Educators chat with each other during the Edifying, Elevating, and Uplifting Teachers of Color conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 20, 2023.
    Educators chat with each other during the Edifying, Elevating, and Uplifting Teachers of Color conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 20, 2023. Retaining educators within the profession requires paying attention to the quality of induction support they get, ongoing mentorship, and how well prepared school administrators are.
    Andrea Ellen Reed for Education Week
    Recruitment & Retention The Role Mentors and School Leaders Play in Retaining Teachers of Color
    Beyond higher pay, experts share key factors that can keep teachers of color in the profession and even at a given school.
    Ileana Najarro, December 4, 2023
    •
    6 min read
    Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023. New EdWeek Research Center survey data shows how school leaders plan to go about boosting the diversity of their teaching corps.
    Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
    Brian Palmer for Education Week
    Recruitment & Retention From Our Research Center Districts' Strategies to Diversify Teaching Staff, in Charts
    New EdWeek Research Center survey data highlights how districts plan to recruit and retain more teachers of color.
    Ileana Najarro, December 4, 2023
    •
    2 min read
    A student listens to instruction during an 8th grade science class at Aptos Middle School on January 27, 2020 in San Francisco.
    A student listens to instruction during an 8th grade science class at Aptos Middle School on January 27, 2020 in San Francisco. Scholars and legal experts are still debating whether the Proposition 209 era in California offers lessons for the nation in the wake of the Supreme Court ending affirmative action in college admissions.
    Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
    Equity & Diversity Will the Ban on Affirmative Action Hurt Diversity? Look to California
    Proposition 209 prohibited the use of race in education. Its effects were debated before the U.S. Supreme Court this year.
    Mark Walsh, December 4, 2023
    •
    11 min read
    Rose Chu, founder of Elevate Teaching, speaks about the value of teachers, encouraging people to be in the teaching profession and how to rebrand teaching so good teachers want to join the profession at the Edifying, Elevating, and Uplifting Teachers of Color conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 20, 2023.
    Rose Chu, the founder of Elevate Teaching, which seeks to build a teaching profession that serves diverse classrooms, speaks about how to rebrand teaching so good teachers want to join the profession at a conference in Minneapolis on Oct. 20, 2023.
    Andrea Ellen Reed for Education Week
    Equity & Diversity Quiz Quiz: What Are the Challenges and Strategies to Diversifying School Staff?
    Test your knowledge of recruitment strategies, the role of mentorship in retaining teachers of color, and more.
    Daniela Franco Brown, December 4, 2023
    •
    1 min read
Coverage of strategies for advancing the opportunities for students most in need, including those from low-income families and communities, is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, at www.waltonk12.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Reprints, Photocopies and Licensing of Content

All content on Education Week's websites is protected by copyright. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Readers may make up to 5 print copies of this publication at no cost for personal, non-commercial use, provided that each includes a full citation of the source. For additional print copies, or for permission for other uses of the content, visit www.edweek.org/help/reprints-photocopies-and-licensing-of-content or email reprints@educationweek.org and include information on how you would like to use the content. Want to seamlessly share more EdWeek content with your colleagues? Contact us today at pages.edweek.org/ew-for-districts-learn-more.html to learn about how group online subscriptions can complement professional learning in your district or organization.

Copyright © 2025 by Editorial Projects in Education, Inc. All rights reserved.