Advancing a Diverse Future

 

 

RECRUITING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS OF COLOR IN

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

 

 

Increasing the share of high-quality educators of color can help close racial and ethnic achievement gaps. But currently, LA County educators do not reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of their students. LA County must recruit, retain, and develop more educators of color, especially Black and Latinx educators, and empower them to do their best work for students.

Los Angeles County needs to recruit and retain more educators of color, especially Black and Latinx educators, in order to provide students with the best possible education in equitable, diverse, and inclusive schools throughout LA County’s 80 school districts.

This publication combines local data, national research, and interviews with county educators and leaders to show the need for more educators of color in LA County, and how the community can work together to meet that need.

TOP TAKEAWAYS

  • Research shows educators of color can help close achievement and opportunity gaps.
  • LA County educators do not yet reflect the full diversity of the students they teach. But in order to fully understand the issue and set strong goals for improvement, better public data are needed.

  • Innovation and improvements in teacher recruitment and training can bring more educators of color into classrooms.

  • Dedicated attention to school culture and supports for educators of color can improve retention in the long term.

Educators of color bring unique strengths and skills in the classroom and in leadership roles, which yield academic and holistic benefits for students. But among the approximately 1.5 million students, 74,000 teachers, and 6,800 school administrators in Los Angeles County, there are significantly more students of color than teachers and administrators of color.

  • Students of Color 85% 85%
  • Teachers of Color 57% 57%
  • Administrators of Color 61% 61%

Representation alone is not enough. Educators of color must be supported to thrive. Once educators of color overcome barriers to college graduation and teacher certification to enter teaching initially, too many leave the profession or report feeling undervalued, overburdened, or unrecognized for their expertise and skills.

The Greater LA Education Foundation’s mission is to advance deeper collaboration between schools and communities to disrupt inequity and meet the needs of today’s diverse learners across LA County. Increasing recruitment and retention among educators of color is a top priority for our organization, and in the year ahead, we will build upon the work of this publication by bringing together stakeholders, releasing further research and analysis, and mapping out implementation steps for these recommendations across LA County.

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