Teaching Profession Video

Explainer: Why Is America’s Teaching Force So White?

By Brooke Saias — December 7, 2021 5:26
Freda Arnold chats with some of her students at Booker Junior High school in Little Rock, Ark., on Dec. 21, 1965. Arnold is one of four white educators on the faculty of the all-Black school.
Brooke Saias/Education Week
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The lack of teacher diversity dates back to the establishment of America’s public school system. The video above offers a look at the history and some early signs of hope.

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Families gather at Sunnyside Elementary School for a "Children-Center March for Black Lives" for the 83rd straight night in Portland, Oregon on Aug. 18, 2020.
Families gather at Sunnyside Elementary School for a "Children-Center March for Black Lives" for the 83rd straight night in Portland, Oregon on Aug. 18, 2020.
Justin Katigbak/SIPA USA via AP
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Brooke Saias
Video Producer,  Education Week
Brooke Saias is a video producer for Education Week, working to tell stories about the impact of education on communities.
Related Tags:
Teacher Diversity Teachers of Color Recruitment & Hiring Retention

This project is sponsored by Learning Ally. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

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