All students benefit from having educators and

administrators of color. Studies show that when schools

are more racially and ethnically diverse, students’

academic performance improves, more positive role

modeling occurs, teachers and students tend to be more

culturally aware, and students are less likely to hold

implicit biases in adulthood.

1

While the number of educators of color has grown

in recent years, studies also show that schools and

districts struggle to recruit and retain newly hired

educators of color. Educators of color, who are more

likely to enter the profession from alternate career

pathways, cite experiencing an antagonistic school

culture, navigating unfavorable conditions, and bearing

high costs as reasons for leaving the profession.

4

Improving both recruitment and retention of educators

of color is critical to building inclusive and welcoming

learning environments for both students and educators.