Teacher diversity in Tennessee

According to a 2018 report, only 13% of teachers in the state are people of color, even though 37% of students are. Last month, the Tennessee Education Research Alliance received a four-year, $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences to address the lack of teacher diversity in Tennessee schools.

What will researchers be looking for? What can be done to increase diversity? And what does it look like on the ground, right now, for teachers of color? We explore these questions and more with the lead researcher on the grant and with past, present and future teachers.

But first, we start with our weekly @ Us! segment, where we respond to your feedback.

Guests:

• Andrea Tudhope, This Is Nashville executive producer
• Dr. Jason Grissom, faculty director, Tennessee Education Research Alliance
• Dr. Diarese George, executive director, Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance
• Sheila Hubbard, teacher
• Cicela Hernandez, teacher in training