Authentic connections among educators, students, parents and their community are critical for the success of a school. These connections are essential in pursuing equity, addressing opportunity gaps and supporting Black and brown students.

Unfortunately, between the underrepresentation of Black teachers and school leaders and the utter failure of teacher training programs to adequately prepare educators to adequately prepare all teachers to effectively serve Black and brown students, that authentic connection is in precariously short supply.

African Americans account for just 7 percent of the teaching population and 11 percent of school leaders, while 15 percent of students are Black. And while nearly 30 percent of public school students identify as Hispanic, just 8 percent of teachers and 9 percent of principals do. These aren’t just harrowing mismatches; they’re self-reinforcing deficiencies that push children further behind.

Research has shown the profoundly positive impact that Black and brown teachers and leaders have on students, but it also has demonstrated the effect they can have on the larger school community. Black- and brown-led schools are more effective recruiters of Black and brown teachers. Black, brown and Indigenous school founders and leaders more easily build trusting relationships with the communities in which their schools are located.

With a push to acknowledge these too often ignored facts, there has been a welcome swell in the number of voices calling for more Black and brown leaders to be put in top roles. But a truly effective effort will take more than just replacing white faces with Black or brown ones. These leaders need the resources to create institutions and systems of their own design and vision, and there has to be a broader vision of what it means to lift up leaders of color. For that to happen, our public schools and the organizations that contribute to their effective operation need to construct systems of support and preparation that liberate Black and brown educators to thrive.

Read the full article about why diverse educators are important for educational equity by Naomi Shelton at The 74.