Black children and students attending schools in Michigan’s poorest communities are more likely to be taught by less experienced teachers, according to a study that explored the many ways that ongoing teacher shortages affect the state’s most vulnerable students.
An analysis released Tuesday by the nonpartisan research and advocacy nonprofit Education Trust-Midwest found that students in these groups are more likely to be taught by teachers with emergency credentials and educators teaching outside of their fields of study. The districts with the highest concentrations of poverty in the state also struggle significantly more than wealthier school systems to attract and retain experienced teachers, the report says.
The analysis provides a more nuanced picture of the teacher shortage that has affected districts all over the state since the COVID pandemic. It shows that “everyone really is not struggling equally,” said Jen DeNeal, director of policy and research at Ed Trust-Midwest.
The researchers focused on inequities in the distribution of highly qualified teachers, because years of research shows that educators’ impact can be more powerful than any other factor in schools in determining student achievement…