Students need many things, from visionary principals to sharp pencils. Somewhere near the top of that list should be these two words:

Black teachers.

As of 2012, 16 percent of public school students were African-American, while just 7 percent of teachers were black. To make matters worse, according to the U.S. Department of Education, black teachers are leaving their classrooms at a higher rate than any other group.

To better understand the needs of these educators, researchers at The Education Trust, a national nonprofit that advocates for vulnerable students, went on a listening tour, convening focus groups of black teachers across seven states.

Key Findings

  • Teachers who had a penchant for teaching and serving Black students well found themselves restricted to only teaching Black students.
  • Teachers were reduced to disciplinarians instead of being respected for their ability to manage their classrooms.
  • Teachers who put in extra time and effort still weren’t heard in staff meetings.

About the Survey

Teachers volunteered to take part in 90-minute focus groups held, for teacher comfort and convenience, in classrooms, school media centers, or public libraries. The sample included 150 Black teachers in public and public charter schools in seven states. Participants spanned grade levels and experience. Eighty percent of participants were women, nearly one-third were veteran teachers with more than 15 years of experience, and the majority (90 percent) taught in cities. The sample was representative of Black teachers in the U.S.

Read the Article  Survey Results (PDF, 8.5 MB)