New data confirms a persistent "representation gap" for students of color — meaning that many of these students in classrooms nationwide continue to be taught by teachers who don't look like them.
In 2022-23, for instance, 52% of students enrolled in public schools were students of color, compared to just 21% of teachers who were people of color, according to data from nonprofit TNTP, formerly known as The New Teacher Project.
Within the five-year span between the 2018-19 and 2022-23 school years studied by TNTP, the representation gap between students and teachers of color nationwide remained above 30 percentage points.
TNTP, a national education research, policy, and consulting nonprofit, in August released an analysis of student and teacher racial demographic data at school district and state levels. The data represents 94% of school districts and 64% of schools nationwide, covering 47 states and Washington, D.C. Of those states, 43 had data available up to the 2022-23 school year.
The data is meant to provide districts and states with a solid starting point for the new school year as they look to improve teacher diversity, said Leticia de la Vara, chief policy, engagements and external affairs officer at TNTP.
“It’s important for all districts to look at how representative is your teaching profession to the students that you serve and really taking that self reflection, to look through the data and see where there are opportunities to grow this,” de la Vara said.
De la Vara added that retention strategies are just as important as recruitment strategies to ensure high-performing diverse teachers and school leaders have a long, sustainable career.
The latest TNTP data is just one piece of the puzzle in addressing the gap in racial representation, de la Vara said, who also stressed the importance of focusing on professional development and providing supports to retain educators of color.
Beyond assessing the data, de la Vara said, districts also need to identify barriers that prevent prospective and qualified teachers of color from being hired.
“It’s not about waving a magic wand and you grow in your ethnicity, diversity across different districts — and everything is solved,” de la Vara said. “It is really making sure you’re looking at this holistically, you’re looking at this long term.”
TNTP is also a part of the steering committee for the One Million Teachers of Color Campaign, an initiative pushing for a more diverse workforce for teachers and school leaders.
Here are takeaways from the new TNTP data gauging the latest representation of teachers and students of color.
Clarification: A previous version of this story included only part of TNTP's scope as an organization. The article has been updated to reflect its breadth.
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