Reflecting on Modern Public-School Teacher Experience: An Overview of Select Challenges Facing the Educator Workforce with an Emphasis on Teachers of Color

New demographic research shows that the school-aged population in the U.S. is rapidly diversifying in terms of student racial and ethnic identity. However, as the educator workforce also diversifies, teachers of color are less likely than White teachers to remain in the profession and persist at their current school. This backgrounder reviews a growing body of research outlining the multiple social and academic benefits associated with increasing diversity in the educator workforce. In addition, research on school working conditions, with a specific focus on accountability reforms and practices, and its impact on the retention of teachers of color is discussed. The backgrounder concludes by framing additional areas of research related to the current experiences of teachers and the workforce.