A plan to train, retain a diverse teacher workforce

By 

Larry Delaney and Sabah Randhawa

Special to The Seattle Times

When we think about a favorite teacher, many of us think of a teacher who has shared our experience, our culture or recognized us in a fundamental way. We remember the teacher who understood us, not just as students, but as whole people, and who by embracing our interests, cultures, and backgrounds, could engage with us fully and make us seen. This feeling can make a huge difference in student success, particularly for students of color, but also for the entire student body.

Often, when students see their experiences reflected in the front of the classroom, their dropout rates decline, they’re more likely to attend college, and they show bigger academic gains.

According to the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, more than half of students but just 14% of classroom teachers in 2021-22 (the most recent year reported) were people of color. While we are making gains, we need to continue to grow our educators’ pool to better reflect our state’s population demographics.

We know the traditional path to teacher certification can be expensive, requiring a bachelor’s degree plus a semester of student teaching. The average cost of a year of undergraduate education for in-state residents at public four-year institutions can be upward of $10,000, not including housing, meals, materials and other fees (according to the National Center for Education Statistics, 2021-2022). Aspiring educators continue to pay tuition even while student teaching in their fifth year — and often don’t get paid for student teaching. Total costs toward a bachelor’s degree with a teaching certification typically range between $30,000 and $50,000. Many teachers enter their careers with considerable student debt. 

Investing in Washington’s future teachers is a priority, and is why the Washington Education Association and Western Washington University are partnering to make sure more students can have the benefits of a more inclusive workforce, with help from a $1.5 million fund established by WEA to support a diverse pipeline of educators.