Marin Educators for Equity Initiative

Continuing the work of the Marin Education Alliance, the goal of this initiative is to increase the number of of teachers, mentors and administrators of color throughout Marin, cradle to career.

The Marin Educators for Equity Initiative (MEEI) is focused on increasing the number of educators of color in Marin County to more closely align with the demographics of the student population. All students benefit from excellent educators who reflect the diversity of the students they serve and whose skill set includes a culturally responsive approach. Students of color benefit from the feeling of belonging that having culturally relevant educators and role models that look like them provide. Students from white backgrounds also benefit from having educators of color, who reflect today’s global and multilingual college and career landscape.

Comprised of senior leaders from the TK-12 public and independent school systems, local institutions of higher education, and community based organizations, this initiative envisions an Educator of Color Pipeline to support the development and retention of educators of color. Additionally, the initiative is working to ensure that all schools have inclusive and equitable working environments for all present and future educators.

Research & News supporting increasing educators of color

Lauren Camera, U.S. News & World Report

November 23, 2018

BLACK STUDENTS WHO HAVE just one black teacher in elementary school are more likely to graduate and more likely to enroll in college – and significantly more likely if they have two black teachers.
That’s the top-line finding of a working paper published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research, in which researchers from Johns Hopkins and American University outline findings that show that black students who are exposed to one black teacher by third grade were 13 percent more likely to enroll in college. Those who had two black teachers were 32 percent more likely to enroll in college (Read More).
 

Dominican University of California

March 23, 2021

Itta González, a full-time graduate student at Dominican University of California who also teaches full-time at Lynwood Elementary where her two sons attend school, has had an incredibly busy life this past year. It just got a little easier.
Itta has been named a recipient of a Marin Teacher of Color Scholarship, a scholarship program designed to address the shortage of teachers of color working in Marin County’s public schools funded by a $450,000 contribution in 2019 by anonymous donors. She is one of eight TOC scholarship recipients scheduled to finish their teaching credential work this spring.(Learn More)