This Is the Moment to Tackle Teacher Diversity. We Can’t Wait.

President Biden has put our nation’s education system front and center, recently announcing plans for enormous investments in education from pre-K through college, in addition…

Since Critical Race Theory Is Being Called ‘Indoctrination,’ Let’s Go There

I wanna have a heart to heart with my Black people real quick. Last week I found out Idaho passed a bill to ban the…

Yes, America Is Racist. No, You Shouldn’t Teach My Kids if You Disagree.

Like several people in my private chats, I reacted to the deceptively simple question asked in a new piece by Fordham senior fellow Robert Pondiscio. …

Most White Teachers Are Not Ready to Teach Black and Brown Students

Effective teachers can change and save lives, but being a great teacher is hard. The challenge is especially acute in our high-poverty, under-resourced public schools where teacher tenure is…

I Know What the Challenges Are for Black Teachers and How to Start Fixing Them

I will never forget the moment last year when a seventh-grade African American student came to my door and said, “Mr. Taylor, I just wanted…

A Leaky Pipeline Loses Teachers of Color

Despite the benefits of a diverse teaching force, prospective teachers of color fall out of our leaky preparation pipeline at every stage: preparation, hiring, induction…

Teacher Diversity Explained: Why It Matters, and How We Got Here

While America’s student body has grown more diverse over time, the teachers working with them have remained overwhelmingly white. While more than half of public…

Inside the Decade-Long Plan to Recruit, Hire and Retain 9,000 Black Educators Across the Country

Across the entire United States, there aren’t nearly enough Black teachers inside classrooms.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, less than 7% of…

Want a National Effort to Combat COVID Learning Loss? Study Your Black History.

We know all too well Black and brown students in marginalized communities are now bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s effect on schools—with inadequate technology,…

Educators Who Consider Themselves ‘White Allies’ Are Dangerous When It Comes To Developing Anti-Racist Classrooms

“I am a white ally,” the 30 something-year-old white teacher declared emphatically in the diversity and inclusion professional development session. She snapped her fingers to…