RFA’s most recent analysis of Pennsylvania’s teacher diversity data is available in the following publication: Teacher Diversity in Pennsylvania from 2013-14 to 2019-20
Research shows that exposure to teachers of color has a positive impact on students of all races, and particularly on students of color. Despite these positive effects, only 4% of Pennsylvania’s teachers are people of color. This percentage is not only one of the lowest in the nation, but it is also starkly disparate from Pennsylvania’s own student population, where 29% of students are people of color.
This brief examines the leaks in Pennsylvania’s teacher pipeline that may be contributing to this lack of diversity. It also highlights promising practices found across the country that could increase the number of teachers of color in Pennsylvania schools.
