This study delves into the relationships between strategic recruitment and retention practices implemented by rural Minnesota school districts and the recruitment and retention rates of teachers of color within these districts. The research assesses whether districts implementing strategic recruitment practices demonstrate a higher proportion of…

In addition to providing context to why the teaching workforce is 80% white, this brief presents ways that practitioners and leaders can successfully keep teachers of color in the classroom. The five key values that frame the research in this brief are: (1) location; (2) use; (3) maintenance; (4) modification; and (5) time. Each section provides…

According to the 2019 Biannual Teacher Supply and Demand Report, approximately 25% of teachers in Minnesota left the teaching profession for personal reasons. A trend of teacher instability-- particularly amongst teachers of color--is high and is shown to be influenced by working conditions. A lack of teacher classroom autonomy, administrative…

Given the concerning lack of teachers of color in Minnesota, the positive outcomes of having a diverse educator workforce, and growing legislative action in this area with the Increase Teachers of Color Act, the Minnesota Department of Education with the assistance of the Wisconsin-Minnesota Comprehensive Center Region 10 (R10CC) sought to better…

Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates…

While the majority of U.S students are children of color, only 20% of teachers are people of color. What's more, 40% of the nation's public schools do not have a single teacher of color on record. Research shows that all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, benefit socially, emotionally, and academically from a diverse teacher workforce.…

As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates existing racial inequities, the spotlight shines on Minnesota's gaps in income, health care, housing, and college completion rates. Most notably, COVID-19 is significantly impacting K-12 education. Forced to evacuate school buildings and shift to teaching and learning online, this is a necessary…

This article outlines a framework that I implemented when delivering a community-engaged course during the earlier days of COVID-19. I argue that these guiding principles--centering the community partners' needs, assessing and remaining flexible to students' circumstances, and cautiously mapping and selectively using institutional resources to…

Sometimes aided by state grants and guidance, Minnesota community partnerships are implementing Grow Your Own educator (GYO) programs to diversify the teacher workforce. The following is an examination of the growth and development of Minnesota GYO. While statewide grants fund some programs for either paraprofessionals or secondary students, the…

My commentary on this special issue reflects on experiences I have had in which critical knowledges, and the people who produce them, were marginalized. I congratulate the editors and authors of this special issue for creating a space for such knowledges and for refusing to be marginalized.

Educator preparation programs have a responsibility to prepare professionals to meet P-12 learner needs. Research and changing demographics provide evidence and rationale of the importance to increase the number of educators of color and to prepare all educators to be racially conscious. Educator preparation programs, in tandem with P-12 school…

Leaders across the state of Minnesota and nation proclaim to want to diversify the educator workforce. However, the reality nationwide is that less than 20% of teachers who teach a student population that is at least 51% students of color are teachers of color (Ingersoll et al., 2018). What follows are a number of research briefs organized around…

Hiring and retaining teachers of color is one approach that policymakers can use to support improved academic achievement and opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students. National data show that while the student population is becoming more diverse, the teacher workforce remains largely white and female. While teachers from all…

The effective recruitment and retention of faculty of color continue to present major challenges to universities, in part, because the normal search process in higher education has been largely unsuccessful at diversifying faculty. Therefore, universities have implemented alternative strategies to recruit and retain scholars of color, including…

For a decade, St. Cloud State University has worked to change a broad climate of intolerance that had pervaded the campus of the second-largest university in Minnesota. It has struggled for years to overcome entrenched racism on campus and in the surrounding community. Minority enrollment and faculty of color have increased. The provost is Indian…