Increasing Teacher Diversity: Growing Your Own Through Partnerships

That the student population in public schools is becoming increasingly diverse is not all that surprising. Studies indicate that in less than three decades, a majority of children will likely belong to race-ethnic minorities. Conversely, teacher candidates are not keeping pace with the diversity ratio of students in the PK-12 public school classrooms. The diversity gap between teachers and the students they teach is only widening (McNulty & Brown, 2009). Central Washington University and the Renton School District have partnered to create a Recruiting Washington Teacher Academy dedicated to recruiting high school students of color to become teachers. The Academy encourages high school graduation, opens doors to higher education, and provides an orientation to the teaching profession.