Investigating Working Conditions for Teachers of Color in the Houston Independent School District

• In Event: 63.052 - Toward an Inclusive Teacher Workforce: Training, Hiring, and Retaining for Diversity

Abstract

As a result of poor working conditions, rates of teacher retention for teachers of color are lower than those for white teachers. There are renewed calls for increases in preparation, recruitment, and mentoring of non-white teachers, citing research that shows students of color benefit when they have role models who look like them. Drawing on longitudinal data, this study investigates specific campus level components of working conditions that teachers of color are more likely to experience in the nation’s seventh largest school district, Houston Independent School District (HISD). Findings provide preliminary evidence that teachers of color experience systematically different working conditions (e.g., larger class sizes, less experienced colleagues) that could potentially lead to lower rates of workforce retention.

Author

• Wesley Edwards, The University of Texas at Austin