Diverse and Learner-Ready Teachers: The Workforce Students Are Waiting For

1. Diverse and Learner-Ready Teachers: The Workforce Students Are Waiting For Saroja R. Warner, NBCT, Ph.D. Co-Director, MACC@WestEd

2. The Research Suggests… “The key to moving forward is what we do with our discomfort. We can use it as a door out—blame the messenger and disregard the message. Or we can use it as a door in by asking, Why does this unsettle me? What would it mean for me if this were true?” ― Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism • All students benefit from being educated by teachers from a variety of different backgrounds, races, and ethnic groups. • Studentsof color experience particular benefits from seeing teachers from their own racial and ethnic group. • Positive exposure to individuals from a variety of races and ethnic groups can help to break stereotypes, increase comfort with differences, reduce implicit biases, and lead to innovation and greater social cohesion. • Culturally responsive teaching is linked to positive student behavioral and academic outcomes.

3. Evolution of States Work Learner-Ready Teachers ARE Culturally Responsive in Practice • 2012: Chiefs focus on “learner-ready” teachers, Our Responsibility Our Promise • 2016: Pilot with 11 state chiefs focus on diversity of teacher workforce • 2018: CCSSO launched the Diverse and Learner-Ready Teachers (DLRT) Initiative • FOCUS: • Increasing the ethno-racial diversity of teacher workforce • Ensuring all teachers demonstrate CRP

4. 2019 Vision and Guidance Paper • We know: • What we have to do. • Why we have to do it. • We needed: • Vision for success. • What do students experience? • What do teachers experience? • Guidance to achieve this vision.

5. Preservice: Attracting, Preparing, and Placing Diverse and Learner-Ready Teachers Revise and enforce licensure standards and assessments to ensure a culturally responsive teacher workforce. Analyze and monitor teacher licensure requirements. Invest in multiple pathways into teaching. Implement program approval standards to assure that teacher prep programs recruit candidates from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds and produce quality candidates of all backgrounds capable of demonstrating culturally responsive practice. Adopt and implement policies and practices to assure teacher educator effectiveness.

6. In-Service: Supporting and Keeping Diverse and Learner-Ready Teachers Annually and publicly report on multiple indicators of the diversity of the teacher workforce. Track and report on differential teacher retention and turnover rates. Dedicate federal funding to workforce diversity initiatives. Convene key stakeholders to analyze data and address diversity gaps where they exist. Ensure that culturally responsive practice is one of multiple measures included on teacher evaluations, and that professional learning is required to improve practice.

7. Reasons for Optimism • ESSA priorities • States have taken up the call to action • Engagement across agencies and organizations within states • Research continues to be funded to support implementation of evidence- and research-based practices

8. Key Considerations to Keep Front and Center “It’s our obligation to open doors that encourage diversity among New Jersey educators. We owe it not only to aspiring teachers, but to the children we serve.” Lamont Repollet New Jersey Commissioner of Education • Data collection and analysis • Partnership across agencies on shared goals • Development and support for practice across the career continuum • Policy to support effective practice • Practice that is research- and evidenced- based • Sustained commitment to meet goals

9. Resources and Tools

10. Class Photo

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