The Burden On Black Teachers: 'I Don't Belong At Your Table'
Students need many things, from visionary principals to sharp pencils. Somewhere near the top of that list should be these two words:
Black teachers.
As of 2012, 16 percent of public school students were African-American, while just 7 percent of teachers were black. To make matters worse, according to the U.S. Department of Education, black teachers are leaving their classrooms at a higher ratethan any other group.
To better understand the needs of these educators, researchers at The Education Trust, a national nonprofit that advocates for vulnerable students, went on a listening tour, convening focus groups of black teachers across seven states.
"To provide voice to an often unheard group," says Ashley Griffin, interim director of K-12 research at The Education Trust. "We wanted to make sure, if we were trying to recruit teachers, that we understood why they were leaving the workforce."
Of the 150 teachers who participated, most were women (80 percent) and most (76 percent) were in the South. The vast majority — 90 percent — taught in city schools, Black Teachers Interviewed For Report On Teacher Struggles : NPR Ed : NPR: