This qualitative study examined teachers, schools, and district approaches to new teacher retention with a COVID-19 spin. In the changing world of a global pandemic and shifting teaching modalities, including distance or hybrid learning environments, teachers reflected on their experiences of adaptation. Interviews with teachers in their first…

Parts of California, and the nation, are in the midst of a teacher shortage that adversely affects communities, schools, families, and students, and especially Students and Families of Color (California Department of Education [CDE], 2022b; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017a, 2017b; Carver-Thomas et al., 2021; Commission on Teacher…

Complex career decisions, such as teacher mobility, are often reduced to stigmatizing labels that do little to account for the state of teaching as a profession or credit those engaging in migratory decisions as making healthy career choices. Through our study, we focused on understanding workforce mobility, teaching as an unstaged profession, and…

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) was awarded a two-year NSF grant, "ADVANCE Catalyst: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions", that began in Fall 2022 to examine potential systemic barriers against female faculty of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in recruitment,…

The purpose of this research study was to explore the lived experiences of Black teachers who were employed in an urban school district in Southern California. This study focused on teachers who made the decision to remain at their current school in their current teaching position. The findings from this research inquiry can provide district-level…

At a time when there is an increase in prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), creating a high demand for professionals who have knowledge and skills in the use of evidence-based practices identified for students with ASD, there is also a severe shortage of special educators in our schools. Teacher attrition is a significant contributor to…

Historically underserved and minoritized students are more likely to thrive when they are supported and led by diverse faculty and staff. In 2019, leaders of the country's largest higher education system, California Community Colleges, recognized wide gaps in representation: 52% of 2.1 million students identified as underrepresented minorities,…

The purpose of the study is to address the teacher attrition affecting public schools in California, specifically with teachers with three or more years of classroom experience. A four-level leadership program, called the BICE model, created by Dr. Nolan in 2017, was used to examine the pre- and post-impact on experienced teacher satisfaction and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the conditions that influence experienced teachers to dedicate their career to teaching in high needs schools. In addition, this study investigated the extent to which self-efficacy, collegial relationships, principal leadership and personal mission to teach underserved students impact teacher…

The California educational system is facing a major problem of diversity and representation in the teacher workforce. Latina/o children make up more than half of the population of students in California's public school system, yet their teachers do not mirror this population (CDE, 2022). According to the California Department of Education, (CDE,…

While the majority of U.S students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color. What's more, 40% of the nation's public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Research shows that all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit socially, emotionally, and academically from a diverse teacher workforce.…

School districts across the country are experiencing high rates of attrition which are causing significant challenges. A growing list of demands and responsibilities, along with the lack of administrator support is often cited as the primary reason of departure by early career educators. This qualitative study researched the expectations of high…

In order to humanize and connect future educators across programs, this case study explains how a Northern California four-year university created a weekly professional development speaker series, Teachers, Eduleaders, Advocates, and Scholars (TEAS). TEAS aims to connect future educators to current practitioners to better meet the needs of PK-12…

For years, policymakers, districts, and scholars have pushed for the inclusion of more Black male teachers in US public schools; however, their even smaller subset--Black male special education teachers--has been ignored, particularly by scholars. The results of this study provide insight into the recruitment and retention of Black male special…

Purpose: This study addressed issues of chief diversity officers who often face diversity challenges when attracting, recruiting, and retaining, faculty of color in community colleges in California. Perceptions and meaning-making of chief diversity officers were explored as they encountered racism and shaped the discourse on race embedded in the…