Teacher turnover: An issue of workgroup racial diversity.

Abstract

One neglected aspect of the teacher labor supply is a recent increase in the proportion of minority teachers. Using the Schools and Staffing Survey and the Teacher Follow-up Survey, one can estimate the relationship between workgroup racial diversity and the turnover of White teachers. This approach finds that young White teachers are more likely to stay in their original schools when the proportion of minority teachers is smaller. However, the opposite pattern emerges for older teachers. This poses a policy dilemma for recruiting and retaining teachers on the one hand and diversifying teaching staff on the other hand.