Seen, Heard, Reflected: A Look At California’s Teacher of Color Shortage

California has one of the most diverse, vibrant populations in the country, and our schools are no different. Three out of four California students, from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, are students of color, but just one third of their teachers are people of color. As our communities continue to grow more diverse, we cannot afford to ignore this shortage of teachers of color any longer.

This isn’t just opinion. Study after study has revealed the benefits of teachers of color for all students. Our latest campaign, Seen, Heard, Reflected: A Look Into CA’s Teacher of Color Shortage, includes an exclusive infographic that sheds light on the growing racial and ethnic disparities between educators and students in our public school system.  The findings highlighted in this infographic include:

  • More than 250,000 California students are in schools without a teacher of their same race.
  • More than 100,000 students attend a school where every teacher is White. 
  • More than half of schools in California don’t have a Black teacher.

Solutions to the Teacher of Color Shortage

Solutions to the teacher of color shortage in California’s TK-12 schools fall into five suggested categories:

  1. Recruiting more teachers of color
  2. Ensuring that teacher preparation is accessible and effective
  3. Providing mentors for new teachers of color
  4. Taking steps to retain the teachers of color in our schools
  5. Collecting data to continue to track this challenge

What You Can Do

Everyone in our communities can help increase the number of teachers of color instructing the next generation of leaders.

  • Parents, teachers and student leaders can help by sharing this infographic to make sure everyone knows about the benefits we miss out on when we don’t have a teacher workforce that reflects our diverse communities.
  • District leaders and school administration can create more opportunities for school staff like paraprofessionals and afterschool staff, who are already committed to student success, to get certified to teach.
  • Teacher prep programs can make mentorship for new teachers of color a priority in order to increase retention and attract more teachers of color to the field.
  • Teacher prep programs can also play a role in making sure teacher certification programs are not financially prohibitive–offer paid internships or fellowships, and ensure that aspiring teachers have access to evening instruction while they pursue certification.
  • Policymakers can expand financial supports like student loan forgiveness and repayment incentives for teachers.
  • Policymakers can also reduce unnecessary barriers to obtaining a teaching credential, including examining and eliminating gateway tests that are not predictive of teaching abilities.

Join the Conversation

Help us make sure California teachers and students of color are #SeenHeardReflected. Spread the word using the toolkit below:

Additional Resources

 

Partner Resources

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Karla Fernandez

Communications Manager

Karla Fernandez (she/her/hers) joins Ed Trust–West as a Communications Manager with over 11 years of experience advancing social impact initiatives.

Karla started her career as a teacher at Chicago Public Schools and UIC College Prep. After teaching, Karla joined United Friends of the Children to support LA County’s youth in foster care as a college counselor. Through Leadership for Educational Equity, Karla also served as a Policy Advisor Fellow for the office of a Los Angeles Unified School Board Member. She solidified her interests in policy analysis and quantitative research during her time with the Price Center for Social Innovation, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and the USC Presidential Working Group on Sustainability. Before joining The Education Trust–West, Karla was the Associate Director for the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative, a network of nonprofits advocating for communities in SELA.

Karla holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, a Master of Public Policy from the USC Price School of Public Policy, and a Graduate Certificate in Policy Advocacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Karla is based out of southern California and is passionate about using data analysis, communications, and digital strategies for policy advocacy and social justice efforts.