Recruitment and Retention of Black Female School Librarians Study

A recent study used interviews and research methodology to analyze recruitment and retention rates of Black women in the school librarian profession. The researcher identified three themes from this study: pathways to school librarianship, significance of representation, and workplace challenges for Black women who are school librarians. The research suggests potential actionable steps in recruitment and retention for Black female school librarians, and highlights the need for additional research with more participants in future studies.

Richardson, C. (2025). Perspectives of Black female school librarians on recruitment and retention. School Library Research. 

https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2025-09/johnson.pdf

Research shows a teacher-diversity gap in schools that may contribute to lower achievement among some student groups. Some school systems, including one in California (Partnerships to Uplift Communities Schools), have expanded teacher-recruiting efforts to high-school graduates.

Quintaro, D. , Putnam, H, Walsh, K., & Hansen, M. (2016). High hopes and harsh realities: The real challenges to building a diverse teacher workforce. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
https://www.brookings.edu/research/high-hopes-and-harsh-realities-the-real-challenges-to-building-a-diverse-teacher-workforce/

Gershenson, S., & Papageorge, N. (2016).   Who believes in me? The effect of student-teacher demographic match on teacher expectations. Economics of Education Review, 52, 209-224.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775715300959