There’s an interesting twist to data regarding increasing diversity in teaching. In the 2020–21 school year, approximately 20% of public school teachers were teachers of color, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
In 1987, the share of teachers of color was 12%. This is an encouraging trend, but when compared to student populations, teacher diversity is lagging behind. In the 2020–21 academic year, 54% of all public elementary and secondary school students were students of color. For people looking to positively impact students through education, St. Thomas University provides a path forward through its online Master of Science in Education Leadership program.
Ethnic Makeup of New Teachers
As the student population outpaces the teacher workforce in diversity, a look at younger teachers entering the workforce is not encouraging. The Economic Policy Institute reports that millennials are generally more diverse than earlier generations, but the share of white teachers among millennials is noticeably higher than the share of white teachers in previous generations. Yet, because teachers of color enter the profession through non-traditional routes such as alternative certification programs, teacher diversity among millennials may catch up over time.
The Gender Gap
Since the late 1800s, women have made up the majority of all public school teachers in the United States. According to a report from the Pew Research Center, 77% of teachers are women overall, 89% at the elementary level, 60% at the high school level. These numbers get even more interesting when you look at gender distribution by grade level.
In fact, nine out of 10 elementary school educators are women, but only six in 10 high school teachers are women. A similar fluctuation occurs at the leadership level. In this case, half of all elementary and middle school principals are women. At the high school level, women make up only one third of high school principals.
Teachers as Role Models
The Pew Research Center also finds that males comprise 51% of the U.S. student population and females have represented 49%, a number that’s held steady since 2009. Combine that with a student population that is more than 50% students of color, and it’s clear that teacher populations are not representative of student populations.
Age, gender, race or ethnicity don’t affect teaching ability, but statistics reveal that students often do better academically and socially in representative classrooms. This is particularly true with boys and older students.
How Education Leaders Can Increase Diversity
The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) has identified key practices that help districts successfully recruit and retain teachers of color. These include using data-driven, targeted outreach strategies, posting vacancy notices and hiring early in the year, and offering competitive compensation and comprehensive induction support for new teachers of color.
In addition to pay hikes, attracting more male teachers and increasing diversity is also a matter of convincing potential hires that teaching is a worthwhile career. Developing partnerships with local universities to recruit teachers of color, while simultaneously creating diverse hiring committees, can help with recruitment.
The LPI points out that improving teacher diversity can be achieved by improving school leadership. The LPI recommends that principal certification programs conduct practicum experiences in schools with diverse student and staff populations. They go on to recommend investing in principal recruitment, preparation, induction and development. They also suggest developing partnerships to recruit talented teachers into administrator preparation.
Becoming an Education Leader
St. Thomas University offers an accelerated online master’s degree for education professionals who plan to become school administrators. Graduate students enrolled in the Master of Science in Educational Leadership program will learn about leadership in education, school law, historical foundations of education, curriculum and instruction for diverse student populations, school personnel management and more.
The program’s curriculum includes dedicated coursework in curriculum and instruction for diverse student populations, equipping graduates to build inclusive school cultures and lead hiring practices that reflect the communities they serve. Graduates leave prepared not just to manage schools, but to shape them.
Learn more about STU’s M.S. in Educational Leadership online.
