Antonio Ray Harvey
California Has a Critical Shortage of Black Teachers
Numerous studies have shown that Black teachers can improve Black students’ academic outcomes, but in California, where Black Students are the lowest performing sub-group of all ethnic groups, the state has an extremely low count of African American instructors working in school districts across the state.
By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media
Numerous studies have shown that Black teachers can improve Black students’ academic outcomes, but in California, where Black Students are the lowest performing sub-group of all ethnic groups, the state has an extremely low count of African American instructors working in school districts across the state.
According to the California Department of Education’s 2018-2019 Ethnic Distribution of Public School Teachers, Black teachers disproportionately make up 3.8% of the state’s 12,000 public school classroom instructors.
Black people account for about 5.7% of California’s total population of almost 40 million people.
“Addressing the educator shortage is one of the most important things we can do to support student achievement,” stated Tony Thurmond, the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
“We must increase compensation, prioritize training, improve working conditions, and pursue all strategies that can help our schools add staff to help our students thrive,” Thurmond continued.
Thurmond made this assessment at a news conference before he hosted a Teacher Recruitment Summit at the California Department of Education (CDE) in Sacramento last month.
The Teacher Recruitment Summit was opened to individuals from all organizations focused on reducing the teacher shortage. The event formally launched a coalition to engage in direct recruitment of teacher candidates statewide.
The summit included information about teacher credentialing programs affiliated with school districts and county offices of education, pipeline programs, and AmeriCorps programs.
CDE is addressing the needs of Black educators but there are some people who found channels to enter the profession outside of the traditional process, including Nisha Britton who is employed at Angelo Rodriguez High School in Northern California.
Britton, 37, is a Special Education specialist at the school located in Fairfield, 45 miles east of San Francisco. She just started her first year working with special education students where there are about five Black teachers among the faculty.
Britton, who has a bachelor’s degree in communications/Journalism from Morgan State University — a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Maryland — says she is aware of the shortage of Black teachers in the state. She’s motivated to combat the issue on multiple levels.
“There is a lot of diversity at this school, but I feel like these kids need someone like me,” Britton told California Black Media (CBM). “I want to help these kids figure out what they want out of life.”
Angelo Rodriguez High School opened in 2001 and is the newest of the three comprehensive high schools in Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. Angelo Rodriguez High School is located in Fairfield.
Britton is not fully certified as an educator. She found a pathway through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing program (CTC) which certifies her for two years. CTC is committed to ensuring the integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of the educators who serve the state’s diverse students, according to the organization’s website.
There were more than 10,000 teacher vacancies across California during the 2020-2021 school year. The state has allocated $3.6 billion in funding over the last four years to improve recruitment, training and retention.
Dr. Travis Bristol, associate professor of Teacher Education and Education Policy at Berkeley School of Education, was one of the guest speakers at Thurmond’s news conference.
Through his extensive research, Bristol has been at the forefront of increasing Black male participation in public school education.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s the State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce, educators of color account for less than 10% of all public-school teachers across the country. Black males represent 1.9% of that total.
Based on CDE’s 2018-2019 figures, Black male teachers in California accounted for one percent (3705) of 307,470 instructors in the state. The student population in the state was 6,186,278 during the last school year.
While doing research in Boston, Bristol discovered that Black male educators had one of the highest rates of turnover. Most of them left the profession due to poor working environments, feelings of isolation and the perception that they are the overseers of problematic students rather than educators, and the inability to receive adequate tools from school administrators.
Bristol and other Black educators have facilitated professional learning networks across the state where Black male teachers can discuss their challenges.
Bristol, who majored in English as an undergrad at Amherst College, expressed gratitude and urged caution in recruitment, saying that there are other “critical issues” as to why there is a low count of Black men and women educators.
The UC Berkeley professor said he does not advocate for a “replacement theory.” White students perform well academically and benefit from having Black teachers, too.
“The research and evidence is clear that when students of color have a teacher of color they persist in school. They are less likely to get suspended, and have higher achievement,” Bristol said. “But as we spend some time thinking about recruitment, let us not lose sight of thinking about and pushing for recruitment, supporting and sustaining ethnic racial diversity in the workforce.”
Activism
Black Caucus Members Join Legislative Democrats to Condemn Fatal Shootings by Federal Agents
Lawmakers expressed concern and outrage over the killings of Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, and Renee Nicole Good, a poet, writer, and mother of three. Sen. Laura Richardson (D–San Pedro) spoke on behalf of the CLBC, criticizing federal immigration enforcement practices and calling for accountability.
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
Led by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D–Salinas) and Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón (D–Santa Barbara), California Democratic lawmakers, including members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), held a news conference in Sacramento on Jan. 26 to address recent fatal shootings of civilians by federal immigration agents in Minnesota and California.
Lawmakers expressed concern and outrage over the killings of Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, and Renee Nicole Good, a poet, writer, and mother of three.
Sen. Laura Richardson (D–San Pedro) spoke on behalf of the CLBC, criticizing federal immigration enforcement practices and calling for accountability.
Richardson, who said she was previously married to a police officer, argued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol agents are not “making sure lawful activity is occurring.” She invoked the words of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to condemn what she described as public silence in the face of injustice.
“We are Californians. We are Americans, and we will not be silent. We will be here every time, every day, until this stops,” Richardson said.
Assemblymember Mark González (D–Los Angeles) recalled the names of people who were allegedly shot in January during enforcement operations involving ICE or U.S. Border Patrol agents.
On New Year’s Eve, Keith Porter Jr., 43, was allegedly shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent in Northridge, Los Angeles. Authorities said the confrontation occurred outside an apartment complex after the agent alleged Porter fired celebratory gunshots into the air.
“What’s been happening there is not isolated. It’s part of a dangerous pattern of federal power turning inward on the people it claims to serve,” González said.
Following the news conference, Democratic lawmakers announced a slate of legislative proposals to increase oversight and limit state law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
During the briefing, Rivas described the fatal incidents as an “assault on the American right to life” and characterized federal agents’ actions as a form of “out-of-control violence.”
On Jan. 6, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D–Ladera Heights) introduced Assembly Bill 1537, titled “Peace Officers: Secondary Employment.” The bill would prohibit California peace officers from taking secondary employment, contract work, or volunteer roles with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its contractors, or any entity involved in immigration enforcement.
“Right now, California’s law enforcement officers can take second jobs with ICE,” Bryan, a member of the CLBC, wrote in a Jan. 27 Instagram post. “AB 1537
Activism
At Sac Summit, California African American Chamber of Commerce Shows Growing Clout; Lays Out Top Goals
With the theme “Driving Equity Through Economic Innovation,” discussions at the CAACC summit focused on the intersection of policy and commerce, aiming to widen access to California’s economic landscape for historically underfunded communities.
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
In step with its commitment to drive economic growth, equity, and wealth creation for African American businesses in the Golden State, the California African American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) held its third annual California American Economy Summit at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento on Jan. 28.
Organized by CAACC President and CEO Ahmad Holmes, along with CB Communications, members and the board of directors of the statewide organization shared the group’s current priorities and talked about its growing influence across California.
“This is about all of the information we are gathering for our CAACC membership that trickles down to all the chambers across the state,” said Chairperson Patricia Watts, who is also the proprietor of Cerritos-based FCI Management, an energy and water consulting firm.
“The idea is that we are one voice — especially when it comes to policy issues and information sharing. We’re only stronger if we work together,” Watts said, speaking about the CAACC’s growing influence.
With the theme “Driving Equity Through Economic Innovation,” discussions at the CAACC summit focused on the intersection of policy and commerce, aiming to widen access to California’s economic landscape for historically underfunded communities.
The agenda included plenary sessions with topics covering building economic power through artificial intelligence (AI), strengthening Black businesses, increasing state contracting opportunities and cross-sector collaboration to drive business growth.
“We’re grateful for all the entrepreneurs that were here, all the corporate leaders, the policymakers, investors, and community champions all in one single room,” Holmes said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a video message opening the summit.
State officials like California State Controller Malia Cohen and State Treasurer Fiona Ma also attended.
Ma participated in a fireside chat with Regina Brown Wilson, the Executive Director of California Black Media (CBM).
Their conversation focused on economic development, infrastructure investment, and fiscal stewardship aimed at driving long-term growth in California. In addition, Ma shared insights into state-level initiatives to expand access to capital and support the growth of small businesses for underserved entrepreneurs.
Closing out the event, Toks Omishakin, California secretary of the State Transportation Agency; Danetta Jackson of the Department of General Services; and former Major League Baseball player and 2022 World Series–winning manager Dusty Baker were honored with community recognition awards.
Derek Smith, a CAACC board member who chairs both the Audit Committee and the Political Action Committee, said the organization continues to expand its membership, raise its profile, and execute a strategic plan to reach every region of the state.
“This summit is the best one I’ve ever been a part of. We are becoming a force, and I think the state has been waiting for someone to step up,” Smith says. We had a few chambers out there, but we’re finally stepping in and taking control. We’re going to lead for as long as we can.”
Antonio Ray Harvey
$96 Million Allocated So Far to Black-Owned Firms as High-Speed Rail Project Expands Jobs, Boost Local Economies
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
As of May 31, the most recent data from the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows that 47 African American-owned firms are participating in the project as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
A total of 936 Certified Small businesses are working on the high-speed rail program statewide, representatives of the high-speed rail project say.
The number of Black-owned DBE firms (5.2%) accounts for $96 million of the $1.136 billion allocated to minority firms thus far.
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.
Smallwood-Cuevas, speaking in Aug. 25 at the State Capitol Swing Space Annex — along with a coalition of Democratic state legislators and union leaders — provided an update on the California High-Speed Rail project and its efforts to employ people from the Black community and businesses.
“It builds a cleaner, more connected California while creating thousands of union jobs,” said Smallwood-Cuevas. “And we must ensure workforce equity, with pathways that open doors for workers who too often have been left out of good-paying careers.”
The remaining DBE minority-owned firms received the following amounts:
- Asian Subcontinent: 24 firms received approximately $65 million
- Asian-Pacific Islander: 52 firms received approximately $86 million
- Native American: 6 firms received approximately $39 million
- Hispanic/Latino: an unspecified number of DBE businesses received approximately $848 million
There are currently 328 certified DBEs participating in the project, according to the California High Speed Authority. The multi-billion-dollar project is billed to be committed to small, disabled, disadvantaged, and diverse businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project.
“As a Central Valley native, I know firsthand how transformative high-speed rail will be for our communities,” stated Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) a member of the CLBC and Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
“Stable and sustained funding is essential to delivering this project and fulfilling the promise made to voters.”
The news conference was hosted by Senate Transportation Chair, Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who was promoting Senate Bill (SB) 545. He and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) urged the Legislature to commit to a steady, annual investment from a cap-and-trade program to fund the high-speed rail project.
Dr. Melanie Okoro, the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Eco-Alpha, attended the briefing. Eco-Alpha is a Sacramento-headquartered small, women-owned, minority-certified firm.
The company, not classified as a DBE, earned its status as a certified small business and a certified women-minority small business through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Department of General Services (DGS). The certification allowed Eco-Alpha to be featured by CHSRA as a small business working on the project.
The Black-owned firm provides engineering and environmental services to the California High-Speed Rail project, primarily focused on facilities operation and Maintenance.
Okoro said laborers are not the only workers benefiting from the project. Professionals of color in engineering, with specialized knowledge and problem-solving skills to design, build, and maintain a wide array of structures, systems, and products, are looking forward to these “great opportunities.”
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