A Theory Towards Special Education Teachers of Color Turnover: A Critical Analysis of Racialized Working Conditions

This article advances an equity-focused theory to describe working conditions and turnover for special education teachers of color. While researchers have underscored the disproportionately higher turnover rates among teachers of color compared to white teachers, a need remains for an integrated theoretical understanding of the causes of higher turnover for special education teachers of color. Drawing upon the psychology of working conditions and racialized burdens theory, existing research findings are integrated to propose an understanding of the high turnover of special education teachers of color based on the racialization of their working conditions. Implications for using the Racialized Working Conditions and Turnover Theory to inform future research about special education teachers of color turnover is also described.