How to Recruit and Develop More Racially and Linguistically Diverse Educators

Equity Institute’s work with school districts and regular review of current literature on educator recruitment, retention, and support suggests that the teacher shortage in our nation is growing and could have dire consequences. This issue is even more pronounced in economically disadvantaged communities. In addition to this, teacher racial and linguistic diversity remains a significant problem.

To address the growing teacher shortage while focusing on diversity, communities across our country must intentionally cultivate educator pathway programs that reflect the racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds of our students. We need sustainable solutions urgently because 1) educator pathway programs require time to sufficiently establish and 2) teacher shortages may be exacerbated by the global health pandemic. In Rhode Island, where our office is located, we have launched the EduLead Fellowship in partnership with College Unbound and the Rhode Island School for Progressive Education.

In this article, I’ll provide a brief overview of the program and what we hope to accomplish. To complement this article, I’ve included some resources we’ve developed or helped develop that focus on teacher diversity and recruitment and retention strategies:

• A racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse educator workforce is vital to closing the inequitable gaps that persist between students of color and their white peers. Here are insights and strategies on how we can address educator diversity.
• Karla Vigil, chief executive officer of Equity Institute, offers recommendations for recruiting teachers of color.
• Karla Vigil and myself on why we don’t have more educators of color and what we can do about it.
• Recruiting highly qualified educators of color can help improve student performance and strengthen the teaching profession. Our Equity Institute team briefly explains why here.

What is the EduLead Fellowship?

The EduLead Fellowship helps K-12 teacher assistants and non-certified school-based professionals attain their college degree and teaching certification on their path to becoming classroom educators with long-term impact. The program leverages a cohort model to provide training, development, and support for Fellows on their path towards establishing an impactful teaching career. Participants will be able to:

• Attain a Bachelor’s degree from College Unbound, a postsecondary institution for returning adult learners, that’s designed around an innovative, personalized, interest/project-based curriculum model.
• Pursue graduate-level coursework through Rhode Island School for Progressive Education, Rhode Island’s first residency-style graduate school of education.
• Become a certified educator.
• Have access to an extensive support community through EduLeaders of Color Rhode Island, a growing network of high-impact individuals working at the intersection of all fields to improve education access.

While this fellowship does target educators from historically underrepresented communities, the opportunity is open to all educators who work as non-certified school-based professionals and have not completed a 4-year degree. Throughout the program, Fellows meet weekly with an advisor to discuss strengths, opportunities, challenges, and overall progress in the program. We intentionally provide a high-level of support to ensure Fellows’ successful completion of the program and transition to their new roles as certified educators.

Why Now?

As previously stated, the major shifts in education due to the global pandemic may cause a mass exodus of educators along with the exacerbation of racial disparities in educational outcomes. There are two main reasons we launched this now:

1. Research suggests that teachers could leave the education profession in large numbers as schools reopen. This would create a significant number of teacher vacancies.
2. Emerging research confirms that when taught by a teacher of color, students of color experience higher reading and math test scores, higher graduation rates, decreased dropout and discipline rates, and increased enrollment in advanced courses.

I also believe it necessary to highlight that our country is grappling with racial tension and violence. Many of our students may be struggling to process difficult emotions and make sense of what’s going on. Our students and communities need strong educators now more than ever — educators who can integrate students’ identities and backgrounds into the work they do and navigate difficult conversations.

What’s Next?

This year we’ve launched the EduLead Fellowship with 15 teacher assistants in Rhode Island. We’re focusing heavily on continuously evaluating the program with the hope to expand it locally and share our model more broadly. Interested in learning more? Reach out to us here for more information.