More teachers are quitting their jobs. Educators of color often are more likely to leave

HARRISBURG, PA. (AP) — Rhonda Hicks could have kept working into her 60s

- MARC LEVY

She loved teaching and loved her students in Philadelphia's public schools. As a Black woman, she took pride in being a role model for many children of color.

But other aspects of the job deteriorated, such as growing demands from administrators over what and how to teach. And when she retires in a few weeks, she will join a disproportionately high number of Black and Hispanic teachers in her state who are leaving the profession.

"I enjoy actually teaching; that part I've always enjoyed," said Hicks, 59. "Sometimes it's a little stressful. Sometimes the kids can be difficult. But it's the higher-ups: 'Do it this way or don't do it at all.'"

Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, state reports show. The turnover, in some cases, is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit: stress — from pandemic-era burnout, low pay, and the intrusion of politics into classrooms. But the burdens can be heavier in schools serving high-poverty communities that also have higher numbers of teachers of color.

In Philadelphia, a city with one of the highest concentrations of Black residents in the U.S.--the proportion of Black teachers has been sliding. Two decades ago, it was about one-third. Last fall, it fell to below 23%, according to district figures.

In the school buildings where Hicks taught, most teachers were white. She said she and other teachers of color were expected to give more of themselves in a district where half the students are Black.

"A lot of times when you see teachers that are saving Black and brown kids on TV, it's always the white ones," Hicks said. "There are Black teachers and Hispanic teachers out there that do the same thing in real life, all the time."