Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Racial Composition in Detroit

Over the past few years, teacher recruitment and retention have become more difficult in Michigan, especially in the state’s highest-need districts. At the same time, the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) has substantially reduced large annual teacher vacancies. The district’s strategies to hire and retain teachers have included increased teacher compensation, improved working conditions, and a “Grow Your Own” program. How does teacher recruitment and retention in DPSCD compare to Detroit charter schools and other districts in metro Detroit? And over time, to what extent has the racial composition of the teachers changed in Detroit and the metro area? We answer these questions through an analysis of longitudinal state administrative records on teachers and teaching positions in metro Detroit, for the 2016-17 through 2022-23 school years.

The Relationship between Teacher Turnover and Student Attendance

This quantitative study draws from student- and teacher-level data for the tri-county Metro Detroit area to identify the association between teacher turnover and student attendance.