About the Project
How can we build stronger pathways for more people of color to enter the education workforce and remain in the profession?
In California, students of color represent approximately 77% of our K-12 population; in contrast, teachers of color represent only 37% of the teaching force. Not having a representative sample of racially diverse adults with decision-making power is a disservice to the students and larger learning community. Diverse educators bring with them diverse ideas, perspectives, practices, beliefs, and values that can enrich and expand the culture of the school and its ability to adequately serve its diverse student population.
Diversifying the teaching profession has enormous benefits for students. When students of color have teachers of color, they perform better across a range of academic outcomes. Educators of color serve as role models and mentors, and bring cultural competency to the work.
We are leading a series of studies examining equity gaps and opportunities across the educator pipeline to help better recruit, prepare, develop and retain a talented and racially diverse workforce. In collaboration with educators, students, researchers, and higher education leaders and state agencies, the California Educator Diversity Project highlights promising models while shaping future policy priorities for the Golden State.
Publications
Prioritizing Educator Diversity with New State and Federal Funding
This brief highlights opportunities for recruiting, preparing, and retaining more educators of color in California, including increased support for teacher residencies, fee waivers, teacher grants, and early childhood education funding.
A Funding Guide to More Diverse Schools in California
This funding guide is a public resource for educators and districts committed to diversifying the educator workforce and meeting the needs of diverse students.
Voices from the Classroom: Developing a Strategy for Teacher Retention and Recruitment
Details results from a survey of 4,632 TK-12th grade teachers in California, revealing alarming findings related to job satisfaction and future outlook, teacher retention, and diversity & inclusion within the school work environment.
Forthcoming Studies
Six Barriers to Racial Equity in Teacher Education Programs
This paper aims to uncover the challenges and struggles teacher candidates of color experience in their teacher education programs (TEPs), and highlight the systematic and persistent racial inequities within California’s educator pipeline. Adopting a mixed-method approach, this paper aims to answer the following research questions: What factors impact the racial climate within TEPs in California? What are the experiences of people of color in TEPs in California?
Teacher Education Deserts
This brief will provide an analysis of enrollment trends in California teacher education programs (TEPs) over the past six years and how TEPs are geographically distributed throughout the state. Additionally, it will assess how the distribution of TEPs may impact the teacher shortages experienced by districts and counties around the state.
Humanizing the Teaching Profession
This paper will examine the responses from from teachers of color within our 2022 survey on their experiences of racial discrimination at school sites.
