This paper aims to draw lessons from existing research on school leader diversity, and to supplement that evidence with new insights from the lived experiences of teachers, aspiring and practicing school leaders of color, and local and state administrators who oversee school leader recruitment and support. These perspectives are elevated to bring…

This article provides an ethnographic accounting of one teacher of color's experience of moral injury by exploring the question: what morally injurious events does Nancy experience, and what are the costs of those injuries? This project used participant observations and interviews to explore the moral injuries encountered. Moral injuries occurred…

Thirteen New England colleges and universities have signed on to New England Board of Higher Education's (NEBHE's) new North Star Collective (NSC), a multi-institutional collaborative to boost Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) early-career faculty at New England colleges and universities. Built on a Reparative Justice Framework, NEBHE…

Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates…

Research says that teacher diversity benefits all students, regardless of race or Ethnicity. However, while the majority of students in the U.S. are of color, only about 20% of teachers are of color. Increasing the racial and cultural diversity of the teacher workforce takes a statewide commitment to collecting and analyzing educator workforce…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted teacher candidates' capacity to complete licensure requirements. In response, many states temporarily reduced professional entry requirements to prevent a pandemic-induced teacher shortage. Using mixed methods, we examine the role of the emergency teaching license in Massachusetts, which provided an opportunity for…

A formal induction and mentoring program is critical for supporting and developing novice teachers as they enter the K-12 classroom because it has been found to improve teacher retention rates, teaching practice, and student outcomes. Districts across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offer induction and mentoring programming to their novice…

Over half of U.S. public school students are children and teens of color, yet only about 8 percent of their teachers and administrators are people of color. Convinced that teacher and leader diversity is an essential component of an equitable education for all students, state boards of education have adopted a variety of strategies to attract,…

Hiring and retaining teachers of color is one approach that policymakers can use to support improved academic achievement and opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students. National data show that while the student population is becoming more diverse, the teacher workforce remains largely white and female. While teachers from all…

In Massachusetts, as is true nationally, teachers are less racially diverse than students. As of the 2021-22 school year, 87 percent of teachers in the state were White, compared with only 54 percent of students. In response to this disparity, Massachusetts lawmakers have proposed legislation targeting the shortage of teachers of color. In this…

We investigate the predictive validity of teacher licensure tests using data from the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL). MTEL scores predict teachers' in-service performance ratings and contributions to student test scores (i.e., value added). We then explore whether these relationships vary for teacher candidates of color.…

The goals of higher education--engaging the hearts and minds of our next generation, advancing novel and pragmatic solutions to the most pressing local and global problems--call for great passion and skill. That's not the whole formula, though. Diversity performs its own powerful role. College faculties that represent a diversity of expertise,…

We use teacher candidate test scores on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL), linked to student and teacher outcomes in the state, to investigate the predictive validity of these teacher licensure tests. We find that MTEL scores are positive and statistically significant predictors of teachers' in-service performance ratings and…

Beginning teachers of color leave the country's schools at higher rates than their White colleagues. National attention has turned to the development of induction, or beginning teacher support, programs to help stem beginning teacher attrition rates. Despite having developed a comprehensive induction policy to support beginning teachers,…

The author tells of the experience of co-founding a group of male teachers of color within the Boston Teacher Residency program. The group's theory of action was that professional development focused on addressing the unique challenges of male teachers of color would help these teachers develop tools and strategies to navigate their school…