Black teachers have one of the highest turnover rates. But job-related morale is also among the highest, according to new survey data.
The tension between these two trends is at the heart of the puzzle as local leaders and policymakers work to diversify the teaching profession. Black teachers, who make up only 6.1% of the workforce, tend to find their work meaningful and fulfilling, which may boost their morale. Still, their commitment to their students can feel all-encompassing, and the challenges of working in a predominantly white field and the stress of the job can push them out of the classroom before they're ready.
“I came into this profession to pursue extraordinary results, to make a difference, to push the needle, and to prepare my students for the world,” said Genelle Faulkner, a high school science teacher in Boston. . “I think my students reflect my full potential and all the places I could go. I want to make sure every possible door is open for them.”
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But that commitment can lead to burnout, she said. “It’s a huge burden on yourself,” she said. It's a lot of work and a lot of energy. … Overall, I think this profession is unsustainable. Especially as a teacher of color.”
The EdWeek State of Education survey, conducted last October among a nationally representative sample of nearly 1,500 teachers, found overall teacher morale to be at -13. It is displayed on a scale from -100 to +100. Negative scores indicate that, on average, teachers feel more negatively than positively about their job.
However, teachers' perceptions of workplace morale varied by race or ethnicity. White teachers have a morale score of -13. Teachers who teach more than one race have a morale score of -14. Hispanic teachers are one of –6.
Meanwhile, black teachers' morale is +5, meaning they feel more positive than negative about their jobs.
How teacher morale relates to the broader black experience.
The difference in morale may be partly due to the broader social context and broader black experience, experts say.
“When I think about fraud, I also think about hope. To be black in America… you have to have a feeling of hope, a feeling that life will always get better,” said Associate Professor Travis Bristol. Teacher education and educational policy at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education.
That optimism and faith began during slavery and continues today, he said, while black people still face systemic racism.
“I think those Black teachers are bringing 400 years of faith and hope that as long as we do our work, the lives of our students will get better, even if we don’t see it. [just as] “Our ancestors believed that freedom would come, even if we couldn’t see it,” he said.
I think my students reflect my full potential and all the places I could go.
Genelle Faulkner, high school science teacher
Several studies have found that having a Black teacher in the classroom is especially important for Black students, but that students of all races and ethnicities benefit..
Black students are more likely to graduate from high school And enroll in college When there is only one black teacher in an elementary school. Black students are also more likely to be placed in gifted education programs. have black teachers and are less likely to be suspended, expelled, or detained;. Black teachers tend to have higher expectations for Black students. than white teachers
“When you feel like you are contributing something significant to the people you identify with and share your cultural background with, it gives you hope and inspiration,” said Sharif El-Mekki. He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development. (He is also an opinion contributor to EdWeek..) “This seems weighty and worthy of my best efforts and best thinking.”
How teachers of color view the teaching profession
A new survey from Educators For Excellence, a national organization that advocates for teachers, found similar trends. Teachers of color are more likely than teachers in general to say the profession is dynamic, rewarding, collaborative, sustainable, and diverse.
The survey was conducted by: A nationally representative sample of 1,000 public school teachers and a nationally representative sample of 300 teachers of color in January and February.
Michael Simmon, a middle school history teacher in New York City and a member of the E4E National Teacher Leaders Council, finds this work rewarding because he knows firsthand how important it is for black students, especially boys, to have good-looking teachers. Like them. He did not have a male teacher of color until he reached high school.
He said of the experience, “You saw a future image of what you could be in a professional environment.” And now, “I feel the respect I receive working with young students of color, especially males.”
Another EdWeek Research Center survey conducted in January 2023 found that black teachers were significantly more likely to say they were respected by the general public and viewed as experts. 79% of teachers were Hispanic, compared to 58% and 53% of black teachers. White teacher.
This is not surprising, Bristol said. For example, in spaces like black churches, “black teachers, black professionals are respected,” he said.
Black communities tend to place a high value on education, which translates into respect for teachers, El-Mekki said. He said that as a teacher in West Philadelphia, he received warm greetings and words of support and encouragement from his parents and other community members when he walked home from school.
Why Black Teachers Leave the Profession
Still, the E4E survey found that only 29% of teachers of color said they were “very likely” to spend their entire career as a classroom teacher, compared with 44% of a national sample of teachers. This is consistent with other research that has found teachers of color leave their classrooms at higher rates than white teachers.
One potential explanation is burnout. EdWeek Education Status Survey It found that black teachers typically work the most, at 65 hours per week. Hispanic teachers report working a 64-hour workweek, while white teachers report working a 56-hour workweek.
Faulkner, who is also a member of E4E's National Teacher Leader Council, said she regularly spends extra time after school to help students with their studies and prepare them for success. And she attends her students' basketball or softball games to get to know and cheer on their families.
Putting in the extra hours can be tiring, she said, but it's important to her that students know she cares about them as people.
“There are ways to make my job easier and more manageable, but I wouldn’t feel satisfied that I was actively doing my job,” she said. “I end up pushing and pushing and pushing. [meeting] District expectations, school expectations, and everything else that builds up for success. [the job] “It’s not very sustainable.”
Scholars say teachers of color often pay an “invisible tax” at work., perform additional unpaid work. For example, Black men are often expected to be disciplinarians in schools, and teachers of color are often appointed to lead efforts related to cultural diversity and equity.
And that work can be lonely.
“In many public schools, the majority of teachers are white and female,” said De’Shawn Washington, a fourth-grade teacher in Lexington, Mass., and the 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. “Black teachers feel ostracized. Just one or two of us. [Feeling like] “There’s a lot of pressure because I’m a spokesperson for all black teachers.”
Washington said this task can feel daunting because schools aren't always set up to meet the needs of students of color. Across the country, legislation has recently been passed in some states. Limiting the ways teachers can discuss race and racism in the classroom has exacerbated these concerns.
“The curriculum does not always match the real-life experiences of classroom teachers or the students we serve,” Washington said.
Black teachers also often had bad experiences at school as students, El Mekki said.
“Now imagine I’m trying to protect black children who look like me from the policies that I went through,” he said, adding that the decision to step back or remain quiet is a difficult one, and either choice will have a huge impact.
Keeping Black Teachers in the Classroom
Experts say the finding that black teacher morale is high should serve as a call to action for school and district leaders and policymakers.
“Considering [Black] Educators have a lot of hope, so how do we create more hope and create conditions in our schools so they want to stay?” Bristol said.
He added that black teachers “who can have hope even when the sky seems to be falling” have a lot to teach other teachers. For example, Bristol said she is implementing certain kinds of practices in her classroom to make it a nurturing, enjoyable place. Positive morale?
To retain Black educators, administrators must ensure they feel respected, accomplished and effective, El-Mekki said.
Washington, the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, said there was a time early in her career when she thought teaching wasn't for her. But now he feels energized by the impact he has on his students and the relationships he builds with them through random hugs, smiles and small messages of gratitude.
“When those moments come, your morale will be high because you will know your worth and your purpose,” he said.