Edifying Teachers: Redefining Teacher Recruitment, Training, Induction, Retention, and Success

In 2020-2021, some 54% of public school students identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), taught by a workforce of which 80% were White teachers (NCES). This disproportionate distribution has resulted in many students never being taught by a teacher who looks like them. Over time, this dynamic has impacted teacher recruitment - young students see teaching as a White women’s career. And despite increasing interest and discussion, the system that led to the current state remains relatively unchanged. Edifying Teachers (Edifying) is interrupting the status quo by reimagining the teacher pipeline and creating an improvement-oriented model that is actionable, measurable, and forward-looking.

Looking Backward

The old 'dripping pipeline' concept encouraged policy makers and academics to focus on 'patching the leaks' - a reactive, deficit-oriented model. It illustrated the resulting problem but neglected to reveal the underlying factors that contribute to leaks. Without clearly defined causes, it is nearly impossible to identify proactive, systemic solutions - let alone measure and quantify the effectiveness of those efforts. Instead, we watch as teachers of color become increasingly underrepresented at each phase - preparation, hiring, induction, and retention. Ultimately, the leaky pipeline model fails to disrupt the system and fails to get the results that students, teachers, and communities want and deserve.

Looking Forward

We need a change - an asset-based, action-oriented model that encourages collecting and using data for continuous improvement in recruiting, developing, retaining, and elevating BIPOC teacher-leaders. The new paradigm developed by Edifying shows the interconnected underlying factors necessary to develop a sustainable and sufficient supply of high-quality teachers. It also supports collecting data to better understand and refine the system. For example, it makes it clear what types of data teacher prep programs should collect and examine; this process encourages reflection on recruitment practices and student support services. Policy makers can request this information and ask teacher prep programs to report publicly on their progress. Creating data structures to understand teacher preparation, hiring, induction and recruitment will assist in identifying and addressing problems and reforming systems.

Using Data for Improvement

The new paradigm - thinking proactively instead of reactively and systemically instead of linearly - offers myriad ways to leverage data to compel changes that will strengthen support for teachers (particularly teachers of color) at all stages of their careers. For example:

• Including “awareness” as a critical factor in the educator supply equation encourages earlier measurement of interest in teaching as a profession. Currently, most discussions of dwindling interest in teaching rely on anecdotal data. A deeper and more nuanced understanding of this dynamic could offer insight into opportunities to increase awareness of and interest in teaching careers.
• Reiterating the importance of adequate support throughout the teacher development journey reminds both traditional and alternative teacher prep programs to intentionally focus on support, not just for retention, but also to ensure that students remain engaged in preparation programs and have the tools they need to navigate hiring and induction. If programs monitor perceptions of support at all stages, they have an early opportunity to intervene before any “leak” happens.
• Focusing on self-efficacy rather than merely retention as the desired outcome raises the bar for ongoing career development and supports. It will no longer be sufficient for schools and districts to solely trumpet retention of teachers of color as “success” - the expectation shifts to demonstrating real positive impact. Building supportive communities of educators will increase teachers’ sense of belonging, an essential component of efficacy.

The new paradigm supports a shift from passively watching a pipe leak to actively increasing representation by supporting new teacher recruitment practices, success in college courses, completion of practice teaching and apprenticeship experiences, and improved hiring and retention. With a renewed focus on strong mentoring practices, all new teachers will be able to feel a sense of belonging within the formerly-exclusive “White female” field of education and serve as role models for students of color. It creates opportunities to use data proactively and intentionally and puts the responsibility for getting better results squarely on the institutions that have the ability to change their actions. Through this framework, Edifying Teachers is building a coalition of partners ready to disrupt the old pipeline thinking and start with fresh innovative ideas to improve education by rehumanizing one teacher at a time.

About the guest contributor:

Elise Lenthe is an independent consultant who works at the intersection of education, equity, and data, serving as a translator and bridging the gap between behind-the-scenes analytics and high-impact strategy. Her expertise spans the data lifecycle, including data collection and management, data analysis and visualization, and data fluency and usage to drive performance. Elise has 15 years of experience in education and strategic consulting and has worked at the classroom, district, and national levels with organizations such as Atlanta Public Schools, Achieve Atlanta , Teach For America , OneGoal , and the Metro Atlanta Policy Lab for Education.

Sofia Speaks

Here's a preview of a response to Elise's article, from practicing teacher Sofia Gonzalez - be on the lookout for the full response next week!

"It goes without saying that the diverse teacher pipeline is still leaky. As a matter of fact, the drip is causing a puddle, and that puddle will soon evolve into a pool, swiftly and without reservation. Research and data points - in conjunction with best practices - to suggest a sturdier pipeline are crucial to stop the leaks, addressing the underlying causes. Yet, it is dire to insert the teacher voice and wipe the mirror that has fogged, so that teachers of color can continue to serve as "mirrors and windows," affirming our students' identities and future prospects. So as a Latina educator of color, let me remind us of what teachers in the trenches truly need, and how Edifying Teachers lays the foundation that leans into these needs with heart, integrity, and equity as its Modus Operandi."

Teacher Voice & Advocacy Lead Sofia Gonzalez M.Ed., MA is an award-winning Chicago-area teacher, recently selected by the U.S. Department of Education as a School Ambassador Fellow for the 2023-2024 school year.