He is a former high school English teacher in New York City public schools and teacher educator with the Boston Teacher Residency program. His research focuses on the practices that support teacher and student learning and the policies that enable and constrain teacher workplace experiences and retention. The National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the American Educational Research Association awarded Dr. Bristol fellowships for his study on Black male teachers. The Washington Post, Education Week, NPR, NBC News, and Fox News have all highlighted findings from this study.