Study: Teacher Turnover Triggers More Suspensions For Black Students

by Alvin Buyinza

Low pay and high stress — that combination alone drives many educators to a tough decision: resigning. Although we picture teachers sticking it out in the classroom until the end of the school year, that’s not always the case. When they walk out midyear, their students are left dealing with a revolving door of substitutes, disrupted learning, and increased discipline.

Indeed, Black and “extremely underrepresented” students are more likely to be sent to the office and suspended than their Hispanic and Asian peers in schools where there is a high teacher turnover, according to a new study.

The research, published in the American Journal of Education, found a strong relationship between teacher turnover rates and school punishments for students, such as office referrals an