A collaborative model to restore racial diversity in the teaching profession

Abstract

Sixty-eight years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision led to a national reduction of teachers of color, even as numbers of students of color grew, a collaborative effort to racially re-diversify the education profession is forming in the Dayton, Ohio region. This article describes this ongoing movement to increase the number of racially and ethnically marginalized educators, led by seven school districts, five institutions of higher education (IHEs), a county educational services center, and two nonprofit organizations. Initial work was supported by leveraging grant funds. The project seeks to (1) identify seventh- through eleventh-grade students interested in becoming educators, (2) direct students into model pathways and critical supports from high school through college graduation and licensure, (3) offer support for minoritized future and new teachers that fosters confidence and promotes belonging, and (4) facilitate the emergence of collectively-designed professional development for continuous renewal of culturally responsive and inclusive cultures in all education spaces. Strategies include identifying prospective teachers within high schools, establishing peer cohorts, facilitating critical mentoring, mapping grow-your-own pipelines and pathways, providing support at crucial stages in college, developing positive cultures in programs and districts, facilitating ongoing professional development that centers marginalized perspectives, and providing logistical support for emerging networks and organic affinity groups. Lack of support, student debt, isolation, discrimination, and unwelcoming and unresponsive school environments are common barriers that require ongoing dismantling.