2024-01

Strengthen and Diversify the Educator Pipeline

Sponsored by

Sen. Teresa Ruiz (NJ)

Reported to the Caucus by the NHCSL Education Task Force

Sen. Teresa Ruiz (NJ), Chair

Unanimously ratified by the Caucus on November 23, 2024

WHEREAS, teacher recruitment, retention, and diversity play pivotal roles in shaping the educational landscape and fostering well-rounded learning environment; and,

WHEREAS, Latinos are 28.4% of the K-12 student population, Latino educators are underrepresented in the profession. Hispanic educators are just 9.4% of the nation’s educators; and,

WHEREAS, for over 20 years, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) have jointly recommended and advocated for policies that focus on recruiting and retaining quality teachers;[1] and,

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) adopted a resolution[2] substantially similar to this one and is taking steps to develop a robust educator pipeline across the U.S. to encourage young people and career changers to pursue careers in teaching and to increase diversity in the educator workforce; and,

WHEREAS, the National Education Association (NEA) and its affiliates are taking similar steps to ensure that students in every community have caring, committed, profession-ready educators means improving strategies for recruiting, preparing, and supporting educators at all stages;[3] and,

WHEREAS, at the core of these initiatives are the development and expansion of grow-your-own (GYO) initiatives that cultivate relationships between P-12 school districts, higher education and community partners—programs that provide valuable early experiences for students, Education Support Professionals (ESPs), and career changers considering a career in education (individuals who come to the classroom with a wealth of working knowledge developed through their employment history), and help strengthen ties to community groups supporting students and families outside of school; and,

WHEREAS, many teaching assistants and other ESPs have their associate or bachelor’s degree and need the financial assistance and supports to become certified as a teacher; and,

WHEREAS, in Resolution 2019-05, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators called on state legislatures to enact legislation to allow Dreamers and other undocumented migrants, as appropriate, to sit for licensing tests in any state-regulated profession or occupation, and, having completed all requisites, to obtain professional or occupational licenses; and DACAmented teachers have played a vital role in meeting teacher shortages in states like CA, CO, IL, NY and NJ.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) calls on state education agencies and the US Department of Education to support and strengthen pathways for aspiring educators—including new students, career changers and teaching assistants—and remove impediments to preparation and teacher certification at the state level through the development and expansion of programs, including:

• Scholarship opportunities for education majors at higher education institutions covering not only tuition, but also fees and books;
• Career ladders that provide education and certification pathways for teaching assistants and other education support professionals;
• Programs designed for career changers—school districts should partner with higher education institutions to design programs tailored to career changers in high shortage areas, such as career and technical education;
• Full financial program support and scholarships/grants for candidates enrolled at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Tribal Colleges;
• Fellowship opportunities within school districts, providing pre-service training covering core teaching skills, customized academic programs, and support and guidance for fellows to obtain their teaching certification;
• Residency programs developed through partnerships between higher education programs and public school districts that provide students with educational and teacher training and preparation, as well as financial assistance in the form of stipends allowing students to fully focus on their studies and student teaching;
• Improved educator certification processes at the state level eliminating delays in educators receiving their teacher certification, which results in an unnecessary barrier to getting educators in the classroom; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NHCSL renews its call on state legislatures enact legislation to remove barriers for Dreamers and other undocumented migrants, as appropriate, to obtain teacher certification and other professional licenses; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NHCSL calls on Congress and the US Department of Education to provide grants to assist school districts with establishing and growing educator pipeline initiatives, such as GYO programs, and developing collaborations with established programs that have a proven track record of engaging students of color; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NHCSL calls on Congress and the US Department of Education to allocate funding to provide scholarship opportunities to potential educators, the creation of programs to support career ladders, career changers, fellowship and residency programs.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that NHCSL calls on school districts to review and update their hiring practices and work to identify and remove any obstacles or hurdles that create barriers to educators of color, and continue to support successful programs to expand the number of diverse teacher candidates available to be hired by districts throughout the U.S.

THE NHCSL EDUCATION TASK FORCE UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED THIS RESOLUTION TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR APPROVAL AT ITS MEETING OF MARCH 11, 2024.

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THIS RESOLUTION AT ITS MEETING OF MARCH 24, 2024.

THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS OF STATE LEGISLATORS UNANIMOUSLY RATIFIED THIS RESOLUTION AT ITS ANNUAL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 23, 2024 IN DENVER, COLORADO.

[1] See for example NHCSL Resolution 2004-2, Closing the Gaps for Hispanic and African American Students.

[2] AFT Resolution: STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY THE EDUCATOR PIPELINE (Sept. 29, 2022). Available at https://www.aft.org/resolution/strengthen-and-diversify-educator-pipeline.

[3] NEA, Issue Explainer: Educator Pipeline (March 31, 2022). Available at https://www.nea.org/resource-library/educator-pipeline.