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Book Chapter

Why Black Women Teachers Leave and What Can Be Done About it

Published
Why Black Women Teachers Leave and What Can Be Done About it

In their chapter in the new book, Black Female Teachers: Diversifying the United States’ Teacher Workforce, the authors look at Black teacher attrition, reporting that Black teacher turnover rates are significantly higher than those of other teachers. They ask:

  • Why do Black teachers leave the classroom and what would bring them back?
  • What working conditions are associated with Black teacher attrition?
  • What policy interventions can meet the needs of Black teachers in having successful and supported teaching experiences?
  • How have these interventions been successful, and what are the considerations for applying them more broadly?

The authors find that, compared with their peers who are not Black, there are several substantive differences in their preparation, school characteristics, and reasons for leaving. They describe policy interventions that target these conditions, such as teacher residencies, loan forgiveness, mentoring and induction, and principal training programs.


This chapter was published by Emerald Publishing Limited in the book Black Female Teachers: Advances in Race and Ethnicity in Education (Volume 6).