Urban teacher longevity: What keeps teachers of color in one under-resourced urban school? Kari Kokka Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, 6 Appian Way, 442 Gutman Library, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA highlights  Participants are long-term math and science teachers at an urban public school.  Eleven of the 16 participants are teachers of color.  Participants enjoy instructional autonomy and student interactions.  Lack of administrative attention to school discipline threatens longevity.  Teachers’ familiarity with the community improves retention. article info Article history: Received 9 August 2015 Received in revised form 28 March 2016 Accepted 16 May 2016 Keywords: Urban schools Teacher retention Teachers of color abstract This study investigates reasons behind long-term urban teachers’ longevity and job satisfaction. The study site is an under-resourced urban public school in the United States with high retention of long- term math and science teachers, many of whom are teachers of color. Findings suggest types of administrative support (e.g. for disciplinary issues) important and types of administrative support un- important (e.g. instructional guidance) to longevity. Intrinsic social emotional rewards gained from in- teractions with students are influential to participants’ satisfaction and retention. In addition, familiarity with the community may improve retention. Trends by teachers’ race and suggestions for urban teacher retention are discussed. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Public schools in America often struggle to find certified teachers who remain in the classroom (Darling-Hammond & Sykes, 2003; Hanushek, Kain, O’Brien, & Rivkin, 2005; Ingersoll, Merrill, & Stuckey, 2014; Murnane & Steele, 2007). Low teacher retention is not only a problem in the United States, but other developed na- tions are faced with similar challenges, such as Canada (Karsenti & Collin, 2013), the U.K. (House of Commons Education Committee, 2012), Australia (Manuel, 2003), and Belgium (Struyven & Vanthournout, 2014). As expected, developing nations encounter this dilemma as well (Moon, 2007; Mtika & Gates, 2011; Towse, Kent, Osaki, & Kirua, 2002). The problem of teacher attrition is particularly acute in schools situated in urban areas (Cochran-Smith, 2004; Gaikhorst, Beishuizen, Korstjens, & Volman, 2014; Hanushek et al., 2005; Ingersoll et al., 2014; Jacob, 2007), and especially in the shortage areas of mathematics and science (Darling-Hammond & Berry, 1999; Ingersoll & Perda, 2009; LaTurner, 2002). In fact, in the school district of the study site, 70% of the city’s teachers leave within the first five years, and 13% of its teachers leave the district every year, twice the average attrition rate of its state (County Grand Jury Final Report, 2012e2013). In the United States, teachers of color are more likely to choose to work in urban schools that serve predominantly students of color (Albert Shaker Institute, 2015; Borman & Dowling, 2008; Hanushek, Kain, & Rivkin, 2004; Ingersoll & May, 2011; Ingersoll et al., 2014), making their retention a potential strategy to resolve urban teacher shortages. Studies have also indicated that teachers of color can produce better academic results for students of color than white teachers, as measured by standardized tests, atten- dance, and advanced level course enrollment (Achinstein, Ogawa, Sexton, & Freitas, 2010; Dee, 2004; Egalite, Kisida, & Winters, 2015; Hanushek et al., 2005). However, in the 2011e2012 school year, teachers of color comprised only 17.3% of United States’ E-mail address: kari_kokka@mail.harvard.edu. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Teaching and Teacher Education journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tate http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.014 0742-051X/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Teaching and Teacher Education 59 (2016) 169e179