08/25/2026
A recent brief from the Learning Policy Institute, "California's Teacher Shortages," found that California’s teacher turnover rate was 14% between 2023–24 and 2024–25, roughly 39,000 full-time-equivalent positions. Turnover is closely tied to:
- Lack of preparation
- Heavier workloads
- Lower salaries
- Per-pupil spending
It isn't distributed evenly. The turnover rate for Black teachers reached 19% in 2023–24, with 1 in 10 leaving the profession altogether.
Behind this number is a status quo we see often: Black educators are rarely given the conditions to thrive, including the recognition, community, and support needed to sustain them. For over a decade, Lead by Learning has been committed to challenging the systems that create such historic patterns of inequity.
What we know to be true is that when we create conditions and structures that humanize Black educators, they're more likely to stay and thrive, leading to positive outcomes for both their schools and students. We actively work to counter this challenge by prioritizing high-impact collaboration between Black educators, amplifying their voices and centering their experiences in our BIPOC Leaders Network.
95% of our Black educator partners shared that they plan to stay in the field this school year, and that their professional satisfaction increased as a result of working with us. This is what’s possible when we ensure equity is at the forefront of our design and facilitation of professional learning spaces.
Read the full brief to dive deeper into this systemic challenge:
https://hubs.ly/Q04vgN2n0
