A new study shows, once again, the significant role of teachers of color – and the significant gap in the presence of teachers of color – in American schools.
I didn't need the new John Hopkins University study to tell me black teachers matter. Diverse teachers, diverse leadership and diverse school cultures create higher expectations, stronger communities and better outcomes for students – and staff.
Yet, even with 22 years as a teacher and school leader, the study's evidence is compelling. If a black student has just one black teacher by third grade, that student is 13 percent more likely to enroll in college – those who had two black teachers were 32 percent more likely. This bolsters the research team's 2017 study that found a low-income black student's probability of dropping out of high school is reduced by 29 percent if that student has one black teacher in grades 3-5.
These results may speak to the impact of teachers who can relate to students and role models, as well as teacher expectations. The bottom line is, representation matters. But, it doesn't just matter for feel good, soft skills reasons, it matters for kids' academics.
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