Black Student Success: Improving Educational Outcomes for Black Kids through Increasing the Number of Black Teachers

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented uncertainty both within teacher preparation programs and in schools. While it has exacerbated existing and long-standing inequities in California's educational system, the pandemic also presents an opportunity to innovate teacher education programs and rethink how they prepare and sustain candidates of color, particularly Black teachers. Qualified, engaged teachers are critical for all students, but especially for students who face systemic barriers. Racism, poverty, immigration threats, and community violence hinder students' ability to achieve their full potential. Today, California is facing an acute teacher shortage, fueled in part by the pandemic, an overall workforce shortage, a dearth of applicants, as well as the unevenness of current teacher preparation programs. The result is inequities in instructional quality that disproportionately affect Black students. Well-prepared teachers who reflect the diversity of the students they serve are needed to ensure that all students, especially low-income students of color, have access to rigorous and engaging learning opportunities across the curriculum. To address the success of Black students, California must invest in programs to attract, support, and retain Black teachers. [This report was written with additional support from Adonai Mack, Laine Wherritt, Maya Kamath, Nima Rahni, and Ted Lempert.]