Advancing A Vision To Diversify The Workforce And Prepare Racially Conscious Educators

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw

Educator preparation programs hold responsibility for preparing professionals to meet P-12 learner needs amid persistent achievement gaps. Research and shifting demographics support expanding educators of color and training all educators to develop racial consciousness. Systemic changes in program approaches, practices, and policies are required alongside partnerships with P-12 school districts to address workforce and student needs. The article presents research and a college’s educational planning vision linking lifelong learning, professional engagement, social justice, and inclusion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Persistent Achievement Gaps and Demographic Urgency

Racial Disparities in Educator Representation

Culturally Relevant Teacher Education

Increasing Educators of Color

Preparing All Educators for Racial Consciousness

Curriculum, Instruction, and Policy Change

Curricular Tools and Eurocentric Exclusion

Inclusive and Exclusive Teaching Practices

Racial Literacy and Pedagogy

Recognizing and Countering Everyday Racism

ADVANCING A VISION TO DIVERSIFY THE WORKFORCE AND PREPARE RACIALLY CONSCIOUS EDUCATORS JEAN M. HAAR Minnesota State University, U.S.A. ABSTRACT 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 districts, need to make systemic changes in approaches, practices and policies in order to adequately prepare individuals for the profession. The author contends that without these systematic changes, workforce needs and, more importantly, P-12 student learner needs, will not be met. The article shares research about diversifying teacher education programs and shares a college’s educational planning efforts toward reaching its vision, to inspire lifelong learning and professional engagement through racial consciousness, social justice, and inclusion within a global context, to diversify the workforce and prepare racially conscious educators. INTRODUCTION Throughout the United States the inability to ensure high levels of learning for students of all races persists. Since 1975, White children have consistently outperformed African American and Hispanic children with no significant change in the width of the gap in achievement levels between students of color and White students (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2012) . The changes in student enrollment demographics in conjunction with achievement gaps heighten the urgency to improve the predictable achievement trajectory for students of color. The National Center for Educational Statistics reports, From fall 2002 through fall 2012, the number of White students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools decreased from 28.6 million to 25.4 million, and their share of public school enrollment decreased from 59 to 51 percent. In contrast, the number of Hispanic students enrolled during this period increased from 8.6 million to 12.1 million students, and their share of public school enrollment increased from 18 to 24 percent. (Kena et al., 2015, [p. xxx](p. xxx)) The Minnesota Department of Education (2014) data reveal a predictable racial disparity pattern that mirrors the national pattern. Mathematics and reading data from the last five years show a steady and unchanged racial discrepancy between the achievement levels of White and Black students, with White students demonstrating results approximately 30 percent higher than Black students (Minnesota Department of Education, 2014) . The changing enrollment percentages of students in public schools also bring to attention the contrast between student demographics and educator demographics. Students of color constitute over 50 percent of the nation’s K-12 population; yet the teaching workforce remains about 82 percent white (Educators for Excellence, 2015). Approximately 34 percent ofK-12 students in the state of Minnesota are nonwhite, while teachers of color make up only 5 percent of part-time and full-time teachers (The Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota, 2019) . Educational Planning 2020 5 Vol. 27, No. 1 Educators and researchers have approached the issues associated with changing student enrollment demographics in conjunction with achievement gaps in a variety of ways. The literature in the field of culturally relevant teacher education addresses the issue by emphasizing the importance of increasing the number of educators of color and of preparing all educators to be racially conscious (Gist, 2018; Jackson, 2015; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Paris, 2012; Picower, 2009; Sealey-Ruiz, 2011) . In order to increase the number of educators of color and to prepare all educators to be more racially conscious, educator preparation programs need to examine and chan

FAQs

Why do educator preparation programs need systemic changes?

The document argues that without systemic changes in approaches, practices, and policies, workforce needs and—more importantly—P-12 student learner needs will not be met.

What evidence is cited about achievement gaps between races?

It notes that since 1975 White students have consistently outperformed African American and Hispanic students, and it reports state data showing White results approximately 30 percent higher than Black students.

How does the article define racial literacy for aspiring educators?

Racial literacy is described as a set of practices to recognize, respond to, and counter everyday racism, enabling educators to discuss race and racism’s effects in ways that can transform teaching.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by dabgoudw