Durbin Leads Letter To Department Of Education Calling For Data Collection On DIversity Of Educator Workforce

December 13, 2024

Durbin Leads Letter To Department Of Education Calling For Data Collection On DIversity Of Educator Workforce

A diverse educator workforce has been shown to improve outcomes for all students

CHICAGO - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with Representative Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-8), today sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to include additional data on the diversity of the educator workforce in the annual Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). Maintaining a diverse educator workforce has shown to improve outcomes for all students.

"The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a valuable tool to measure whether students have equal access to educational opportunities, including a high-quality, diverse educator workforce. Yet, there is no permanent national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level. We urge the Department of Education (Department) to collect data on teacher and principal demographics and teacher certification similar to our Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act (S.3736 / H.R.7250) in the 2025-26 CRDC and 2027-28 surveys," the lawmakers wrote.

In their letter, the lawmakers highlighted that students of color with at least one same-race teacher often have improved academic performance, attendance, graduation rates, and aspirations to attend colleges. Currently, at least 30 states, including Illinois, and the District of Columbia publish race/ethnicity demographics of their teacher workforce, but the lawmakers assert that this data collection should be standardized and federally required.

"However, current solutions to address both educator workforce shortages and diversity gaps use incomplete data that is not easily accessible. The Department, through the CRDC, is well-positioned to collect this data in a comprehensive manner and make it accessible to stakeholders. Without a national dataset, stakeholders cannot identify which schools need the most help. Further, it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of federal investments in recruitment and retention programs such as the Teacher Quality Partnership and the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence without this data," the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers continued in the letter, requesting that the Department include information, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and sex, on the number of teachers and principals employed by public schools.

"We appreciate the Department's previous inclusion of the number of full-time equivalent teachers, years of teacher experience, and areas of certification in hard-to-staff subject areas in the CRDC. As the Department develops the 2025-26 CRDC survey, we urge you to consider the collection of… data from public schools, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and sex," the lawmakers wrote.

"With standardized, accessible data on the educator workforce, policymakers and stakeholders will be able to better understand and evaluate teacher recruitment and retention efforts and better serve students. Accurate and accessible data also will help district and state leaders set local goals and implement data-informed policies to address nationwide teacher shortages," the lawmakers concluded their letter.

Today's letter complements Durbin's and Cartwright's bipartisan, bicameral Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act, which would establish a permanent, national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level to assist in recruitment and retention of educators.

A copy of the letter is available here and below:

December 13, 2024

Dear Secretary Cardona:

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a valuable tool to measure whether students have equal access to educational opportunities, including a high-quality, diverse educator workforce. Yet, there is no permanent national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level. We urge the Department of Education (Department) to collect data on teacher and principal demographics and teacher certification similar to our Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act (S.3736 / H.R.7250) in the 2025-26 CRDC and 2027-28 surveys.

Students of color with at least one same-race teacher often have improved academic performance, attendance, graduation rates, and aspirations to attend college. Schools nationwide are working to ensure that the educator workforce reflects the diversity of our nation's students. At least 30 states and the District of Columbia publish race/ethnicity demographics of their teacher workforces, and 36 states have funded or established initiatives to support educator retention. We commend the Department's efforts to work with states, tribes, local educational agencies, and educator preparation programs, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions, to eliminate educator shortages in schools and strengthen and diversify the education profession.

However, current solutions to address both educator workforce shortages and diversity gaps use incomplete data that is not easily accessible. The Department, through the CRDC, is well-positioned to collect this data in a comprehensive manner and make it accessible to stakeholders. Without a national dataset, stakeholders cannot identify which schools need the most help. Further, it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of federal investments in recruitment and retention programs such as the Teacher Quality Partnership and the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence without this data.

We appreciate the Department's previous inclusion of the number of full-time equivalent teachers, years of teacher experience, and areas of certification in hard-to-staff subject areas in the CRDC. As the Department develops the 2025-26 CRDC survey, we urge you to consider the collection of the following data from public schools, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and sex:

1. The number of full-time principals employed and the median years of experience across the full-time principals employed, disaggregated by years of experience;
2. The number of full-time preschool and K-12 teachers employed, disaggregated by years of experience; and
3. The number of full-time teachers who hold State certificates, licenses, or endorsements in mathematics, science, English as a second language, and special education-all hard-to-staff subject areas.

With standardized, accessible data on the educator workforce, policymakers and stakeholders will be able to better understand and evaluate teacher recruitment and retention efforts and better serve students. Accurate and accessible data also will help district and state leaders set local goals and implement data-informed policies to address nationwide teacher shortages.

We look forward to working with the Department to ensure our nation's students have a diverse set of educators. Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

-30-

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