Educator Diversity

CONNECTING RESEARCH, POLICY & PRACTICE

Growing and supporting a diverse teaching workforce is critical to advancing student success. Several projects led by Conra Gist, an associate professor at the University of Houston College of Education, are designed to address and inform these timely issues around educator diversity.

DIVERSIFYING THE TEACHER PIPELINE

The Community Teacher Equity Development (CTED) program partners with school districts and organizations to help paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, other school staff, parents and community members become certified teachers.

This specialized program works to prepare culturally and equity-focused educators who:

effectively teach and reach K-12 students;
engage and partner with parents; and
remain in local school communities and continue in the profession.

The program has partnerships with Aldine ISD, Alief ISD, Houston ISD and the Houston Federation of Teachers as of August 2022.

Questions? Contact cted@cougarnet.uh.edu.

RESEARCH HUB ON EDUCATOR DIVERSITY

Associate Professor Conra Gist received a UH Division of Research National Centers planning grant in 2020 to support the formation of a National Center for Research on Educator Diversity. NCRED would serve as a research hub committed to dismantling inequity in teacher development systems through supporting the academic and professional advancement of ethnoracially, culturally and linguistically diverse educators. Learn more about the center.

Learn more about the Research Handbook on Teachers of Color.

DIVERSITY GAP IN U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS

80%White teachers
49%White students
7% Black teachers
16%Black students
9%Hispanic teachers
26% Hispanic students
2%Asian teachers
5%Asian students

Read the Kappan special issue on teacher diversity.

Contact Us

Please reach out with any questions!

Associate Professor Conra Gist
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
UH College of Education
cdgist@uh.edu

Educator Diversity Projects

DIVERSIFYING THE TEACHER WORKFORCE