A new analysis from the Brookings Institution finds that, although the millennial generation is more racially diverse than older generations, that diversity has not extended to the teaching workforce.
For all three generations studied — baby boomers, generation X, and millennials — the teaching workforce is less diverse than the college-educated workforce in general. The gap is greatest among millennials. This means that even as the teaching profession is becoming more diverse, the growth in teacher diversity has not kept pace with the growing diversity of the population.
Brookings offers one point for optimism. The millennial generation has only recently begun entering the workforce. In previous generations, teachers of color have tended to start their careers later than White teachers. So there is still time for the ranks of millennial teachers to grow. However, the millennial cohort is currently behind where previous generations were at the same stage in their career.
Source: Hansen, M. & Quintero, D. (2019, March 7). The diversity gap for public school teachers is actually growing across generations. Washington, DC: Brookings.
