New research indicates that while teachers of color contribute to the overall academic success of all students, they further increase graduation rates and mitigate school challenges for students of color.
Yet, they only represent 20% of the teacher workforce, Education Trust reported.
“We know that teachers of color have had some similar experience as our students of color,” said Dr. Wing “Winnie” Yi Chan, director of P-12 research at Education Trust. “They can really help them to navigate some of the challenges that they would face in school, particularly thinking about experiences with race.”
To diversify the profession, states and districts have implemented nontraditional teacher preparation pathways like Grow Your Own programs and teacher residencies.
Despite these efforts, there have been limited strategies to recruit after-school or out-of-school time (OST) program workers, which a new Education Trust report deemed as a “missed opportunity.”
By examining the experiences of teacher candidates of color, “A Natural Fit: Supporting After-School Staff of Color in Teacher Pipelines,” provides key recommendations to policymakers and teacher preparation programs on ways to prioritize the recruitment and retention of after-school and OST staff.
Teachers of color have a “deep commitment” to serving students of color and their communities. For many of the report’s participants, their passion for the field stemmed from working in after-school and OST environments.
