Revisiting the Black Teacher Shortage: A Quantitative Historical Analysis

• In Event: Data and Discourse: Diverse Approaches to Analyzing Teachers’ Work in History

Abstract

In the United States Black teachers represent only 7% of the teacher labor force while Black students comprise 15% of the K-12 student population. The Black teacher shortage exasperates Black students’ opportunity debt. This study examines historical shifts in the Black teacher labor force. It uses U.S. Census microdata from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS-US) from 1960 to 1990 to test two key arguments cited in the literature. First, it examines whether or not Black teachers were pulled away from teaching because they had more employment opportunities after the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Second, it tests whether or not Black educators were pushed out of the profession after teacher tests were implemented in most states in the 1980s.

Author

• Jennifer K. Hurst, Beloit College