Aspiring BIPoC Educators Program
This page is currently under construction.
The Aspiring BIPoC Educators Program is a year-long professional development program in collaboration with OregonServes, AmeriCorps, campuses, community partners, and community-based organizations across the states. As our first statewide effort and focus developed by our CCOR team, our program aims to increase the number of BIPoC educators in the state by supporting them through the earliest parts of their career development. With Oregon's history as a white-only state and racism continuing to exist at the institutional level, our program also seeks to address the root causes of academic engagement among BIPoC students and the underrepresentation of BIPoC educators. We understand that systemic barriers make it difficult for BIPoC educators to build community and seek advocacy as professionals so we build civic engagement, power, and community-building into our program model.
Why BIPoC Educators are Needed
- BIPoC educators boost the academic performance of BIPoC students, showing improved reading and math test scores, higher graduation rates, and increases in aspirations to attend college
- BIPoC students and white students report having positive perceptions of their BIPoC educators, including feeling cared for and academically challenged
- Greater diversity of educators may mitigate feelings of isolation, frustration, and fatigue that can contribute to individual BIPoC educators leaving the profession when they feel alone
- Despite the underappreciation of BIPoC educators, both BIPoC and white students are more successful when presented with diverse faculty and develop a more well-rounded understanding of the diversity of their community
Program Timeline
The first phase of the Aspiring BIPoC Educators Program will begin with program research and coordinated convenings of project stakeholders. Our short-term BIPoC research fellows will conduct an institutional needs assessment and take an exhaustive, statewide inventory of teacher preparatory and certification programs. They will also organize a survey of similar BIPoC educator development programs across the country and subsequent best practices. In addition, they will focus on developing teacher professional development and community-based learning models and curricula.
In 2023, the Aspiring BIPoC Educators Program will pilot a ten-member AmeriCorps cohort of BIPoC aspiring educators during its first year. Members will work with partner institutions to design K-12 curricula and work directly with youth and students in the communities as student educators, developing and implementing their own teaching strategies and philosophies that embed racial equity and cultural responsiveness to inform their teaching practices after leaving the program. CCOR will support Members by working with partner institutions to identify credit-bearing student teaching opportunities where students can receive credit and compensation, gain critical professional development experience, and leave with funds that will support them in pursuing the remainder of their teacher education.
In 2023, the Aspiring BIPoC Educators Program will pilot a ten-member AmeriCorps cohort of BIPoC aspiring educators during its first year. Members will work with partner institutions to design K-12 curricula and work directly with youth and students in the communities as student educators, developing and implementing their own teaching strategies and philosophies that embed racial equity and cultural responsiveness to inform their teaching practices after leaving the program. CCOR will support Members by working with partner institutions to identify credit-bearing student teaching opportunities where students can receive credit and compensation, gain critical professional development experience, and leave with funds that will support them in pursuing the remainder of their teacher education.
Program Support for BIPoC Educators
One of the main reasons why educators leave the profession is poor working conditions, isolation, and low compensation. CCOR will provide aspiring BIPoC educators with knowledge of their rights, community-based teaching, financial aid resources, racial-equity focused professional development, culturally-responsive mentoring, guided pathways support, and connections early on that will enable them to build power and community as individuals with long-term careers in education. These aspiring BIPoC educators will be AmeriCorps Members enrolled in Oregon's community colleges, career and technical education (CTE) teaching licensure programs, alternative teacher certification programs, and similar teacher education programs at public four-year universities.
As teacher mentorships has long been considered a best practice for teacher preparation, AmeriCorps Members will have a teacher mentor and the person will share a racial/cultural identity with them. These educators/mentors will also serve as program advisors providing feedback on AmeriCorps Members' progress, support needs, programmatic improvements, and professional development opportunities. They will be compensated for their time out of appreciation for their labor and expertise. This aspect of the project will draw upon new or deepened partnerships with CCOR partners including: Portland Public Schools GEAR UP educators/mentors, Kairos PDX, culturally specific student success advisories, Portland Community College, Portland State University, Lane Community College, higher education professionals of color Oregon affinity groups, teacher training programs, and CTE and licensure programs.
As teacher mentorships has long been considered a best practice for teacher preparation, AmeriCorps Members will have a teacher mentor and the person will share a racial/cultural identity with them. These educators/mentors will also serve as program advisors providing feedback on AmeriCorps Members' progress, support needs, programmatic improvements, and professional development opportunities. They will be compensated for their time out of appreciation for their labor and expertise. This aspect of the project will draw upon new or deepened partnerships with CCOR partners including: Portland Public Schools GEAR UP educators/mentors, Kairos PDX, culturally specific student success advisories, Portland Community College, Portland State University, Lane Community College, higher education professionals of color Oregon affinity groups, teacher training programs, and CTE and licensure programs.