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As one of the nation’s leading education schools, the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) is committed to preparing outstanding diverse educators with expertise in their fields and a wealth of relevant experience in Colorado schools. On Friday, November 15, SEHD leaders and faculty members, together with partners in the National Center for Research on Educator Diversity at the University of Houston, convened a group of education experts, policymakers, educators, community leaders, and doctoral students at the Colorado Educator Diversity Policy Forum at CU Denver. Participants explored and suggested proactive policy recommendations to address the critical shortage of a diverse educator workforce in Colorado.

The event coincided with the release of a teacher diversity working group report on significant but surmountable barriers to recruiting diverse educators throughout Colorado.

The forum began with opening remarks from Dean Marvin Lynn and Dr. Conra Gist. This was followed by a discussion between hosts Dr. Marvin Lynn, Dr. Margarita Bianco, professor and founder of Pathways2Teaching, with a distinguished group of panelists:

• Fernando Branch, Denver Public Schools
• Honorable Rhonda Fields, Colorado State Senator and Commissioner-Elect, Arapahoe County, Colorado
• Patricia Hurrieta, Denver Public Schools
• Asia Lyons, Lyons Educational Consulting
• Terrenda White, University of Colorado Boulder

Participants discussed what is necessary, what is possible, and how they will collaborate in the future to address policy solutions.

Dr. Bianco gave insights on grow-your-own teacher education programs like CU Denver’s Pathways2Teaching which help diversify the educator workforce and are gleaning national and international attention. Dr. Bianco emphasized the need to pay attention to racial climate in schools stating that “...we know from the research that hostile working conditions are unhealthy and certainly contribute to a school’s inability to attract and retain educators of color.”

Forum discussions focused on recruitment, retention, and sustaining diverse teachers and the impact of national political changes on local issues in Colorado. The panelists discussed several key areas: recent political appointments; equitable education access for all children including those who live in poverty and/or have disabilities; schools as safe environments for newcomers; and the importance of creating community solidarity to solve policy issues in education.

Education experts and participants emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions regarding educational needs, and a multipronged approach to tackling issues like affordable housing and childcare for teachers.

Key takeaways included the necessity for community involvement in policymaking, the importance of data-driven decisions regarding educational needs, and [a need for coordinated efforts across state and district agencies for teacher retention]. There was also a recognition of the need for alignment among various educational initiatives while improving outcomes for marginalized students.

“We will get there by emphasizing statewide cooperation among key stakeholders,” said Dr. Lynn. “We need a scale of public investment that is simply not there yet to make a difference for students of color throughout Colorado.”

The event concluded with a consensus on the need for more opportunities for discussions and a need to continue the dialogue that was started here.