Barriers to Racial Equity for Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers in California’s Teaching Pipeline & Profession

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

This report examines barriers to racial equity affecting teachers of color and Indigenous teachers within California’s teaching pipeline and the teaching profession. It situates the study within a broader civil rights research agenda aimed at generating evidence-based solutions for the next quarter century of racial justice. Acknowledgements recognize educators and system leaders who contributed experiences, and the findings reflect research supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with conclusions grounded in the authors’ analysis.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages110

Reading Time4 h 37 min

AccessFree to download

About the Series

Acknowledgements

Table of Figures

Table of Tables

Glossary

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Teacher Pipeline & Profession

The “Leaky” Pipeline – A National Perspective

Teacher Education in California

Suggested Citation: Mathews, K., Huang, H., Yagi, E., Balfe, C., Mauerman, C., Edwards, E.J. (May 2024) . Barriers to racial equity for Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers in California’s teaching pipeline & profession. Los Angeles, CA: Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles and Center for the Transformation of Schools, UCLA. © 2024 Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles and Center for the Transformation of Schools, UCLA About the Series A Civil Rights Agenda for the Next Quarter Century The Civil Rights Project was founded in 1996 at Harvard University, during a period of increasingly conservative courts and political movements that were limiting, and sometimes reversing, major civil rights reforms. In 2007 the Project moved to UCLA. Its goal was – and still is – to bring together researchers, lawyers, civil rights advocates and governmental and educational leaders to create a new generation of civil rights research and communicate what is learned to those who could use it to address the problems of inequality and discrimination. Created a generation after the civil rights revolution of the 1960s, CRP’s vision was to produce new understandings of challenges and research-based evidence on solutions. The Project has always maintained a strong, central focus on equal education and racial change. We are celebrating our first quarter century by taking a serious look forward – not at the history of the issues, not at the debates over older policies, not at celebrating prior victories but atthe needs of the next quarter century. Since the work of civil rights advocates and leaders of color in recent decades has often been about defending threatened, existing rights, we need innovative thinking to address the challenges facing our rapidly changing society. Political leaders often see policy in short two-and four-year election cycles but we decided to look at the upcoming generation. Because researchers are uniquely qualified to think systematically, this series is an attempt to harness the skills of several disciplines, to think deeply about how our society has changed since the civil rights revolution and what the implications are for the future of racial justice. This effort includes two very large sets of newly commissioned work. The first set is on the potential for social change and equity policies in the nation. This paper is the fourth in the second set of studies that focuses on California, a vast state whose astonishing diversity foretells the future of the U.S. and whose profound inequality warns that there is much work to be done. All these studies will initially be issued as working papers. They will be brought together in statewide conferences and in the U.S. Capitol and, eventually, as two major books, which we hope will help light the way in the coming decades. At each of the major events, scholars will exchange ideas and address questions from each other, from leaders and from the public. The Civil Rights Project, like the country, is in a period of transition, identifying leadership for its next chapter. We are fortunate to have collaborated with a remarkable network of important scholars across the U.S., who contributed to our work in the last quarter century and continue to do so in this new work. We are also inspired by the nation’s many young people who understand that our future depends on overcoming division. They are committed to constructing new paths to racial justice. We hope these studies open avenues for this critical work, stimulate future scholars and lawyers, and inform policymaking in a society with the unlimited potential of diversity, if it can only figure out how to achieve genuine equality. Gary Orfield Patricia Gándara Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the teachers, administrators, students, and system leaders who shared their experiences, stories, and opinions for this study. Their voices speak truth to power. Thank you also to the reviewe

FAQs

What is the main focus of the report?

The report focuses on barriers to racial equity for teachers of color and Indigenous teachers within California’s teaching pipeline and teaching profession.

Who contributed to the study?

The authors thank teachers, administrators, students, and system leaders for sharing their experiences, stories, and opinions.

What funding support does the research acknowledge?

The report states it is based on research funded, in part, by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and that the conclusions are those of the authors.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys