Is the diversity of New York’s students reflected in the teaching workforce?

Teacher diversity is critical to the success and well-being of New York students of all backgrounds. Teacher retention, and in particular retention of teachers of color, is an important lever in making sure our teaching workforce is representative of the students it serves. Here’s how school districts across the state are doing at representing the diversity of students and retaining teachers of different racial/ethnic groups.

Shares of students and teachers by racial/ethnic groups are reported using data for the 2021-22 school year. 4-year retention rates cover SY 2018-19 to SY 2021-22. “Multiracial” is a racial/ethnic group for students but not teachers, while teachers could decline to share their race.   

On Representation: The shares of teachers of color in New York State are much smaller than the shares of students of color. Ed Trust–NY standardized the shares of teachers and students of color within their own populations in order to compare them, so districts where the shares of teachers of color are comparable to the shares of students of color will show this indicator.  

On Retention: The average 4-year retention rate for teachers of color across districts in New York State is 76%, so districts that have a retention rate above that threshold will show this indicator and report their specific retention rate.