NYC Gazette

New York City public school teachers are more likely to remain at schools where the principal and a significant proportion of their peers share their race or ethnicity, according to recent research. This finding highlights the role of representation and belonging in maintaining a diverse teaching workforce.

Research indicates that teachers of color in the United States experience higher turnover rates compared to White teachers, with this disparity increasing over the past decade. To explore how staff demographics affect these trends, researchers examined turnover patterns within New York City public schools.

"This study is a crucial step in understanding the role that school leadership and peer diversity play in retaining teachers of color, offering new insights that could shape future policies to create more supportive, stable teaching environments," said Luis Rodriguez, lead author and assistant professor at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Rodriguez and his team analyzed data from nine academic years between 2011–12 and 2019–20. They focused on teacher transfers within the NYC public school system or departures from it entirely. The analysis included human resource data with teacher demographics and placements; administrative data on school characteristics; and NYC School Survey data reflecting teachers' perceptions of their work environment. The study concentrated on Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, or other race/ethnicity groups among teachers.

The results were published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. They showed that Black teachers were 2 percentage points less likely to leave schools led by a Black principal compared to those led by principals of other races. This represents about a 14% reduction in turnover for Black teachers. Similarly, Black teachers were less likely to leave schools with at least a moderate share (approximately 20%) of Black colleagues than those with fewer Black staff members. For White teachers, there was a 1 percentage point decrease in turnover when working under a White principal—an 8% reduction—and similar trends appeared for those working alongside peers of the same race.

In New York City, approximately 78% of teachers are White while around 17% are Black. Thus, about 95% of NYC's teaching workforce is more inclined to stay at schools where they share racial or ethnic backgrounds with both principals and colleagues.

"Several factors may explain why teachers prefer working in schools where they share ethnoracial backgrounds with their colleagues," Rodriguez explained. "It could foster a strong sense of community and support leading to greater belonging and satisfaction." He added that various factors inside and outside school environments also influence retention decisions warranting further investigation.

The research was co-authored by Julie Pham from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Briana Gonçalves from New York University.