Fewer people are becoming teachers. Both the percentage and number of higher ed students with an education major have steadily dropped each year since 2010. Enrollment in teacher prep programs has fallen by 30 percent. Schools are struggling to find teachers for areas like science, math and bilingual education. The K12 student population is more racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse than ever, but teachers in the US are nowhere near as diverse as their students. Almost half the students are minorities, yet fewer than 1 in 5 of their teachers are nonwhite. Let’s look at what’s causing a shortage in teachers, particularly teachers of color, and how we can recruit future educators.

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