UC San Diego

Teacher retention is a critical issue for the American education system and society as awhole. Much research has focused on teacher recruitment, pathways to teacher credentialing, and factors that support teacher retention, including positive organizational conditions and administrative support. Teachers of Color make up a numerical minority in America’s classrooms despite student demographics shifting to an increasingly diverse composition. Research supports the importance of Teachers of Color for students, both minority and non- minority. Despite this understanding, numerous barriers exist for Teachers of Color in America’s classrooms. Recent research has shown that increased attention to organizational conditions and how teachers experience their workplace influences their employment decisions.

Focusing on a suburban school district in Southern California, this mixed methodsresearch study examines how Teachers of Color experience their workplace, and how experiences of belonging and othering influence their desire to stay or depart. Drawing upon Bronfenbrenner’s (1999) Ecological Systems Theory, the study puts forth an original framework placing the Teacher of Color in the center of four contexts; self, school, district and community. Findings show that school context most influences belonging, that positive relationships with colleagues and administrators are positively associated with belonging, and that a teacher’s individual purpose is central to this theme. District equity policies are also positively associated with belonging in Teachers of Color. The implications for administrators and educational leaders hold promise in fostering belonging and increasing retention for Teachers of Color in suburban school settings.