While half of public school students in Colorado identify as students of color, 85 percent of the state's teachers are White, predominantly monolingual English-speaking women. During the 2024-25 school year, approximately 70 out of 178 school districts had no teachers of color. Sixty-two percent of Colorado school districts do not employ a single Black male teacher, and 47 percent have no Latino male teachers. The student-teacher diversity gap is rampant in all demographic regions. In 2024, the Colorado Measures of Academic Success showed significant academic achievement gaps for students from historically marginalized communities when compared with their White peers. This gap has been in place for decades. Increasing the recruitment and retention of ethnically and racially diverse educators would improve student academic performance in Colorado. Access to teachers of color and Indigenous educators narrow achievement gaps, enhance student engagement and sense of belonging, and boost graduation rates. Given Colorado's shifting demographics and persistent academic disparities, state policymakers must meet student needs by increasing educator diversity and ensure that equity, representation, and cultural responsiveness are front of mind in education policymaking.