Retaining Teachers of Color

Although national research indicates teachers of color leave the classroom at higher rates than their peers, data shows that in Texas a significantly higher portion of Black and Latino teachers stay in education.

In Texas, from 2010 to 2019, of teachers from university certified programs, only 15 percent of Black teachers and 18 percent of Latino teachers left the profession compared to 32 percent of white teachers. Comparing educators from alternative pathways, 36 percent of Black teachers and 32 percent of Latino teachers left the profession compared to 46 percent of white teachers.

In a recent report co-authored by The Education Trust in Texas (Ed Trust) and Teach Plus Texas (Teach Plus), researchers seek insights to retaining teachers of color.

Nationally, salary has consistently been reported as the most significant retention incentive. However, teachers of color report greater leadership opportunities and professional development to be higher priorities.

Through a series of face-to-face interviews with 13 Houston-area teachers of color, Ed Trust and Teach Plus identified five key themes highlighting the educators’ experiences and noted correlating policy recommendations for each theme. The themes included:

• Supportive leadership
• Equitably compensated roles and leadership opportunities
• High-quality and relevant curriculum
• Interconnected student supports
• Rich instructional and cultural mentorship opportunities

Full details including policy recommendations can be found in the report Completing the Cycle: Support and Retaining Teachers of Color in Houston.