BIPOC Teacher Development as a Catalyst for Shaping Future Norms in Recruitment and Retention Practices

• In Event: Mentoring from the Margins: Preparing and Sustaining Teachers of Color for Educational Equity

Abstract

This study explores the transformative potential of equity-centered professional development (PD) in addressing the recruitment and retention of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) educators. Grounded in equity and systems thinking frameworks, the research examines how a year-long grant-funded PD initiative empowered eight BIPOC in-service teachers to confront systemic barriers and design actionable strategies for diversifying their districts’ educator workforce. Through surveys, focus groups, and reflective debriefings, the study reveals how PD fostered critical self-reflection, collective agency, and strategic advocacy. Findings highlight the importance of safe, identity-affirming spaces and systemic analysis in cultivating inclusive school environments. This work contributes to the growing scholarship on racial equity in education by centering BIPOC educators’ voices and advancing justice-oriented PD models.

Authors

• Alex Guzman, Kean University

• David Antunes, Rutgers University

• Madji Fall, Kean University

• Eleni Zgourou, Kean University