Through Our Eyes: Perspectives and Reflections From Black Teachers
November 03, 2016 by Ashley Griffin, Hilary Tackie 
November 03, 2016 by Ashley Griffin, Hilary Tackie
Federal, state, and district leaders have recognized the need to diversify the teaching workforce, and many are already working to recruit diverse teachers. But the story doesn’t end at getting more teachers from diverse backgrounds into classrooms. Retaining and developing those teachers once they have been hired also needs attention. Understanding the unique needs of teachers of color starts with listening to and learning from their experiences. Ed Trust researchers have done just that.
“Through Our Eyes: Perspectives and Reflections From Black Teachers” represents the qualitative data Ed Trust collected from focus group sessions of 150 Black teachers from across the country.
With African Americans making up only 7 percent of the teaching workforce, “Through Our Eyes” adds some of the much-needed substance that has been absent from the teacher diversity conversation. It uncovers the challenges Black teachers face in classrooms and schools, surfacing issues that contribute to low retention rates among teachers of color.
Federal, state, and district leaders have recognized the need to diversify the teaching workforce, and many are already working to recruit diverse teachers. But the story doesn’t end at getting more teachers from diverse backgrounds into classrooms. Retaining and developing those teachers once they have been hired also needs attention. Understanding the unique needs of teachers of color starts with listening to and learning from their experiences. Ed Trust researchers have done just that.
“Through Our Eyes: Perspectives and Reflections From Black Teachers” represents the qualitative data Ed Trust collected from focus group sessions of 150 Black teachers from across the country.
With African Americans making up only 7 percent of the teaching workforce, “Through Our Eyes” adds some of the much-needed substance that has been absent from the teacher diversity conversation. It uncovers the challenges Black teachers face in classrooms and schools, surfacing issues that contribute to low retention rates among teachers of color.
