Creating a diverse, high-quality teacher pipeline

Research shows that great teachers impact students’ lives for years to come, positively influencing not only their academic achievement, but also the likelihood that they attend college and their lifetime income. Improving teacher preparation, better supporting teachers to develop professionally, and retaining more effective teachers are key to improving student outcomes.
The challenges of the modern classroom are many. A great teacher must have content expertise, strong classroom management skills, and be able to tailor pedagogical strategies to meet the individual needs of his or her students. According to the American Federation of Teachers(link is external), however, one-third of new teachers report not feeling prepared on their first day. Principals echo similar concerns, reporting that two-thirds of new teachers are not ready to manage a classroom and even fewer are prepared to work with diverse student groups.
Without proper preparation and support, 17 percent of all teachers leave the profession within five years, creating a self-perpetuating cycle as they are replaced with more inexperienced teachers who will similarly face a steep learning curve.
Students of color, who now make up more than half of all public school students, benefit academically and socially from seeing teachers who look like themselves, reflect their experiences, and serve as role models to make school a more welcoming place. We are committed to diversifying the teacher workforce and ensuring that all teachers, regardless of race or ethnicity, are equipped with the cultural competency necessary to teach diverse student populations. Research also shows the benefits of being taught by teachers of color for all students, yet we are faced with an increasingly large gap between the diversity of our teacher workforce and the diversity of our student population.
E4E teachers’ recommendations chart the path forward, identifying strategies to improve the quality of teaching preparation programs, diversify our national teaching force, and support new teachers across our districts. Investing in the preparation and ongoing training of teachers to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to meet students' diverse needs is critical, not only to developing great teachers, but also to retaining them. Our students deserve nothing less.
All Policy Papers
Ready for Day One and Beyond
February 2019
Students Today, Educators Tomorrow
November 2018
Accelerating the Learning Curve
October 2015
Closing Gaps
February 2015
Preparing for the Classroom
June 2013
Building for the Future
June 2013
All News
E4E-Minnesota Executive Director Paula Cole Testifies to Minnesota Education Policy Committee on HF 1376

Monday, March 1, 2021
Minnesota
On March 1, 2021, E4E-Minnesota Executive Director Paula Cole testified to the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee about HF 1376 and the need to better honor and reflect the...
E4E-New York member testifies to New York City Council on teacher diversity

Wednesday, September 30, 2020
New York
E4E-New York member Jasmine Byrd testified in support of a bill to collect data on teacher diversity and retention. The bill is based on a policy recommendation in our 2019 report, ”Ready for Day...
NYC’s next ‘gargantuan’ school reopening task: hire thousands of new teachers in little over a week
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
New York
Read the entire article by Michael Elsen-Rooney on the New York Daily News. A daunting hurdle still remains before New York City schools reopen. After a summer of last-minute scrambles to ready city...
Stop assuming students need more discipline and listen to us
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Minnesota
Read the complete op-ed by E4E-Minnesota student intern Rayna Acha on MinnPost. After George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers, Minneapolis took to the streets to...
If Keeping Great Teachers in the Classroom Is Important, Invest in Teacher Development

Monday, July 27, 2020
New York
Read the entire op-ed by E4E-New York member Arthur Everett on Education Post. After eight years as a New York City high school social studies teacher, I thought my love of teaching and leadership...
Martin Luther King Jr.’s sister had it right when she ensured countless teachers of color got the training they need to give students the support they deserve

Monday, July 27, 2020
New York
Read the entire op-ed by E4E-New York executive director Paula White on The Hechinger Report. There’s not a single person in this country who doesn’t know the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr....
What Does It Mean to Demilitarize Our Schools?

Friday, July 24, 2020
New York
Read the entire op-ed by E4E-New York executive director Paula White on Education Post. My son was eight when he told me he was going to “quit school.” At first, I laughed, but after he said it...
Listening to Educators of Color

Monday, July 20, 2020
National
By Simone Hardeman-Jones, E4E Director of Policy and Partnerships, and Eric Duncan, EdTrust P-12 Data and Policy Senior Analyst, Educator Diversity The Education Trust and E4E recently convened a...
Send Teachers Love: Artemis Kolovos, diverse learning teacher in Chicago

Thursday, May 7, 2020
Chicago
To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month, E4E is shining a spotlight on excellent educators and the amazing work they do on behalf of their students. Today, we’re recognizing Artemis Kolovos, a...
Educators Demand Legislators Address Teacher Diversity Crisis

Tuesday, March 10, 2020
New York
March 10 (New York) — Today, 12 teachers from Educators for Excellence-New York (E4E-New York), a teacher-led organization, traveled to Albany to urge legislators to address the teacher diversity...
755 city schools are more segregated than their neighborhoods: report

Tuesday, January 21, 2020
New York
Read the entire article by Victoria Merlino and Meaghan McGoldrick on Queens Daily Eagle. New York City schools remain deeply segregated, according to a new report that found that a pair of Brooklyn...
NYC educators push for teacher diversity in city schools

Monday, January 20, 2020
New York
Read the entire article by Michael Elsen-Rooney on the New York Daily News. When Leton Hall was a public school student in the Bronx, he didn’t have a single teacher who looked like him. Hall...
Educators Push For Diversity on Martin Luther King Day

Monday, January 20, 2020
New York
Read the entire article on NTD Newsroom. Over 60 years after the U.S. supreme court ruled against racial segregation in public schools, the push for integration and diversity continues, not only for...
Educators Call for More Teacher Diversity in Rally at City Hall on MLK Day

Monday, January 20, 2020
New York
January 20 (New York) — More than 40 educators came together today on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to rally on the steps of City Hall and demand that leaders in Albany, at City Hall and in...
New York City Educators Demand Greater Workforce Diversity

Tuesday, November 19, 2019
New York
November 19 (New York) — Tonight, 200 educators came together to demand that leaders in Albany, City Hall and their union answer the wake-up siren to diversify New York’s educator workforce. The...
E4E Hosts Congressional Briefing on Teacher Diversity

Tuesday, November 5, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
Educators for Excellence hosted a briefing at the United States Capitol for Members of Congress and their staff on the urgent need to close the diversity gap between teachers and students. Over 80...
Educators for Excellence-New York Reacts to New York Teacher Workforce Diversity Report

Tuesday, November 5, 2019
New York
November 5 (New York) — After months of meetings with legislators and other education officials across the state, Educators for Excellence-New York (E4E-New York), a teacher-led organization,...
Reimagine, Represent Roundtable: Educators for Excellence Calls for Diversity in the Teaching Force

Thursday, October 24, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
October 24 (Washington, D.C.) – Educators for Excellence (E4E), a teacher-led organization, today hosted a conversation with teachers, students and education experts to advocate for programs and...
Teachers and Education Leaders Unite on Shared Call to Action to Strengthen Teacher Diversity

Thursday, September 12, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
September 12 (New York) — As presidential candidates offer their plans to diversify the teaching workforce, Educators for Excellence (E4E) teachers and a dozen education nonprofit and advocacy...
The Bulletin Board: Inequitable Access to Excellent Teachers

Tuesday, September 3, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
...
The Bulletin Board: Teacher Preparation Programs

Tuesday, July 9, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
...
Chalk Talk: Rachael Goeler

Monday, July 8, 2019
New York
“I entered the profession cockier than I should have,” Rachael Goeler said unequivocally and with a hint of remorse when remembering that first year in her Queens classroom 9 years ago. A...
Hiring teachers of color is an investment in student success, group says

Thursday, June 13, 2019
New York
Read the entire article by Meaghan McGoldrick on the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Of the 62 recommendations Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza embraced on Monday to improve...
The Bulletin Board: Increasing Diversity in the Teacher Workforce

Thursday, June 13, 2019
National, Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Minnesota, New York
Educators for Excellence | June 2019 Whether it’s student discipline disparities or opportunity gaps, race — even when you don’t think it should — plays a role. And it’s...
Education Organizations Urge Policymakers to Increase Diversity in the Teacher Workforce
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
National
The Honorable Robert Scott Chairman House Education & Labor Committee Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Lamar Alexander Chairman Senate HELP Committee Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Virginia...
Ending the Shortage of Black Male Teachers in New York
Sunday, April 28, 2019
New York
Read the entire op-ed by E4E-New York member Ashley Toussaint on Gotham Gazette. Every day I stand in front of my classroom, filled with black and brown faces, intensely aware that I am the only...
Why Having a Teacher with Dreadlocks Matters

Monday, April 15, 2019
Connecticut
MacArthur Cheek, High School Social Studies Teacher
I’ve got a story for you. A group of suburban students came to visit our urban school in Bridgeport. One of the students rushed up to tell me she loved my hair because I had dreadlocks and so...
Strong Coalition of Organizations Urge Minnesota Lawmakers to Reject Harmful Teacher Licensure Bills
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Minnesota
Governor Tim Walz 130 State Capitol 75 Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155 Sen. Carla J. Nelson, Chair, Senate E-12 Finance & Policy 3235 Minnesota Senate Building St. Paul,...