Diversifying the Teaching Force: What We Have Learned From a Three-Year Partnership

Abstract

This article features the creation of processes for developing a sustainable and viable recruitment and retention effort to diversify the teacher workforce between a school district and institution of higher education. The three-year journey of program development has resulted in numerous successes and powerful opportunities for aspiring educators and authentic learning for the partners. Data was collected from students-of-color focus groups and a network of Black male education professionals and informed an aspiring student group to consider teaching and education as a career choice. Researchers used the Community of Cultural Wealth framework as a guide to develop the program and categorize data. Team members reported data and used the findings for continued revisions and expansion of the program.