New Report: Seeing Myself: Students of Color on the Pros and Cons of Becoming Teachers

Posted by The Center for Black Educator Development on October 24, 2023

Research is clear: when teachers of color lead in classrooms and schools, all students benefit. Yet districts across the nation struggle to recruit and retain the diverse educators that play such a pivotal role in the lives of students. Understanding the perspectives of students of color and Indigenous students—the generation that will soon enter the workforce—is critical to identifying sustainable solutions to diversifying the teacher pipeline.

Seeing Myself: Students of Color on the Pros and Cons of Becoming Teachers, a new report released jointly by Teach Plus and the Center for Black Educator Development, spotlights the experiences and nuanced perspectives of students of color and Indigenous students and lays out the essential changes education system leaders must make to build a diverse teacher workforce.

This jointly written report captures the hope within students of color and is critical because we know that in order to be best positioned for success, it is essential for students of color to also be taught by teachers of color who can serve as mirrors, not just windows, to their world,” said Sharif El-Mekki, founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development.

Seeing Myself: Students of Color on the Pros and Cons of Becoming Teachers explores what students of color and Indigenous students observe of their teachers and in their schools right now. The way students are treated by adults in the building, the curriculum and instruction they receive, the opportunities they have to connect with fellow students, and how they see their culture reflected in their school all factor heavily into whether or not they would consider teaching as a career.

For the report, Teach Plus and Teach Plus teacher leaders conducted focus groups with 103 high school students of color and Indigenous students from 18 states participating in the Educators Rising program run by PDK International. Through these focus groups, the researchers elevate five key findings:

1. Students of color and Indigenous students value the unique benefit teachers of color have on students’ experiences in school and on their futures.
2. Students of color and Indigenous students are drawn to the teaching profession by a desire to build strong relationships and make a difference for future generations of students.
3. For students of color and Indigenous students, the low pay associated with teaching is a strong deterrent to choosing teaching as a future career.
4. For students of color and Indigenous students, the representativeness of the curriculum and teachers’ level of agency in their own classrooms play an important role in shaping their school experience and influence their perspective on the attractiveness of the teaching profession.
5. Students of color and Indigenous students need their schools to provide safe and affirming environments that value and respect their cultural identity.

Learn more and read the report.

Read the press release.