Conclusion

To the state government’s credit, institutional resources, both financial and less tangible ones, have been leveraged for the benefit of GYO programs, oftentimes driven by the tireless efforts of organized advocates like the Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers (TOCAIT) in Minnesota. Minnesota has established a statewide dedication to diversifying the teaching workforce, establishing a common language in the 2016 ITCA that is the foundation for this work. This dedication transcends political party lines; all but one of the ITCA bills has been bipartisan. And the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council are institutionalized entities in the state government that amplify the voices of BIPOC Minnesotans inside the halls of power.

Seed money was necessary to develop curriculum, recruit candidates, and hire staff. Over time, upfront costs can be offset by program tuition and other funds. All three programs need substantial financial support. For successful partnerships, relationships between LEAs and teacher preparation programs are important. Having point people in districts responsible for program administration, and school leaders invested in the program and willing to help recruit and work around residents, are assets. Communication between partners is essential. As Clifden observed, “one of the challenges that I’ve just discovered in this role is that when you’re establishing partnerships, you need to have a strong leader in the district, somebody…who’s all on board who gets it who wants to sustain the work in the district.”¹

For paraprofessional residents, the greatest barriers are finding the time and the money to complete the program. All three programs in Minnesota were designed around responding to these challenges. This includes financial support personalized for each candidate, set schedules and class sign-ups that remove candidate burden around planning classes, and ways to either compress or expand the program timeline to limit its effect on candidates’ full-time positions and income.

Diversifying the teacher workforce is a core motivation for all three highlighted GYO programs, stated explicitly in their goals and other program literature. But diversification is not solely dependent on recruiting and training BIPOC candidates, a reality that programs have responded to as they grow and learn. BIPOC educators meet significant cultural barriers in what is still a predominantly white profession, regardless of the demographics of the students that they teach. In interviews, staff in all three highlighted programs discussed how program curriculum explored residents’ racial and ethnic identities, as well as various culturally responsive practices. SUTR has invested significant dollars to support program graduates through the induction process, Anoka Hennepin has started a new mentorship program for new teachers of color in the district, and all three programs have pursued funding for, implemented, or considered developing more robust teacher mentoring programs.

Statewide, policymakers and advocates are hoping to reform the GYO grant program to better reflect the needs of districts, their partner teacher preparation programs and BIPOC educator candidates, as well as increasing program funding. Seeing the success of programs like the those in the Twin Cities and Worthington communities, there is clear momentum to continue to promote GYO in the state. Building a more representative teaching workforce does not happen overnight, but investing in community-developed teachers is a good place to start.