The Colors of Excellence : Hiring and Keeping Teachers of Color in Independent Schools

This groundbreaking volume provides crucial information on the current state of diversity in independent schools. Featuring the objective findings of a 5-year study alongside personal stories by teachers and students of color, this book offers a unique look at the progress independent schools are making to attract and retain teachers of color.

A must-read for all those who truly want to diversify their schools, this volume:

• Features powerful testimony by independent school faculty of color, including the individual stories of African-American, Chinese-American, Native-American, Cuban-American, and Latino-American educators.
• Discusses how important a diverse teaching force is for creating a positive school culture for all students.
• Provides a framework useful in gauging the challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers in a shrinking national teaching pool.
• Reveals how teachers of color across the country found their jobs, their reasons for choosing an independent school, the special demands they face, and why they opted to stay.
• Analyzes teacher diversity in 11 independent schools and includes a list of provocative questions to help schools evaluate their own progress.
• Includes specific guidelines to help educators close the faculty diversity gap in their schools.