Teacher Diversity

Full length side view of Black female instructor in mid 40s with hand on shoulder of a Black elementary boy as they stand in corridor and talk.
E+/Getty
Special Education What the Research Says One Group of Teachers Is Less Likely to Identify Black Students for Special Ed. Why That Matters
Researchers say their findings argue for diversifying the teacher workforce.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2024
•
4 min read
Equity & Diversity Spotlight Spotlight on Inclusion & Equity
This Spotlight will help you examine disparities in districts’ top positions, the difference between equity and equality, and more.
February 16, 2024
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Opinion What Teachers of Color Say They Need Most
Teachers of color face the same challenges as their white peers, in addition to others.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 15, 2023
•
15 min read
121423 Sapsikwala Stephanie KD BS 2
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Video How to Support Early-Career Teachers: Advice From Native Educators
They were new teachers fresh out of a graduate program to create a Native teacher pipeline. Today, neither is still in that position.
Kaylee Domzalski, December 14, 2023
•
5:39
Silhouettes showing diversity.
aelitta/DigitalVision Vectors
Teaching Profession See How Diverse Your State's Education Workforce Is
Our interactive visualization shows how states stack up in creating a more representative teaching force.
Madeline Will, December 12, 2023
•
3 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.
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 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
Special Report Strategies for Building a Diverse Staff
Delve into the link between diverse staff and students’ academic performance and explore strategies to recruit and retain diverse staff.
December 4, 2023
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
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
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion Teachers of Color Face Unique Challenges. Here Are Some of Them
Teaching is hard enough, but educators of color face additional—often invisible—tasks.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 14, 2023
•
16 min read
Collaged photo illustration of Black men teachers and positive role models
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Recruitment & Retention Opinion 3 Solutions for the Black Male Teacher Shortage
I was well out of college before my mentor persuaded me to become a teacher. Here’s how we can start reaching Black men earlier.
Sharif El-Mekki, November 7, 2023
•
5 min read
Happy Black female student celebrating while receiving exam results from her Black female teacher in the classroom.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Here's What High School Students of Color Think About Being a Teacher
New research asked high school students of color and Indigenous students what they think about a career in teaching.
Madeline Will, October 17, 2023
•
6 min read
Kabir Saad
Saad Kabir, who works on recruitment for New York City public schools, started a podcast to help entice people of color into the classroom.
Courtesy of Saad Kabir
Recruitment & Retention Q&A Behind the Podcast That's Trying to Entice More People of Color Into Teaching
New York City uses outside-the-box strategies to recruit and retain educators of color.
Alyson Klein, September 20, 2023
•
4 min read
Load More ▼

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.