Moving Beyond Diversity to Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Lessons from a Sunday Sermon

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Black teachers are leaving education at an alarming rate. What can we do to address this? Recently I gleaned some ideas from a Sunday Sermon at my church.

Mary Stutts, Chief Global Health Equity and Inclusion Officer, author, and associate pastor at my home church, gave a powerful message on a recent Sunday. She began a sermon series on “What Heaven Looks Like.” This series uplifts the importance of increasing diversity in churches. Listening to her compare the need for diversity in the church to her work in helping companies and organizations diversify their workforce automatically made my mind go to the lack of diversity in the U.S. education system.

There has been so much talk about increasing diversity in the teacher workforce. While there is still much work to do to diversify the corporate world, the education system can adopt a few principles and strategies from the corporate world. The ways they approach diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are ones the world of education should pay close attention to. Solutions to address the lack of teacher diversity need to go beyond higher pay or signing bonuses established to temporarily attract people into the profession. Once they enter teaching, how can we keep them in education? As Pastor Stutts explained, this requires us to move our attention beyond diversity toward equity, inclusion, and belonging. 

Policies and Programs for Retention of Teachers

According to The Education Trust, “to increase the racial diversity of the educator workforce, states must create the right policy conditions to support educator preparation programs, districts, and schools in their efforts to prepare, recruit and retain teachers of color.” These are some of the same principles Pastor Stutts referred to in her sermon. However, she argued that diversity is not enough. In fact, she has dropped diversity from her title to emphasize the focus of her work on equity and inclusion. What would happen if the “powers that be” in education did the same? To move beyond trying to figure out ways to solely recruit teachers of color to also focusing on how to retain them once they enter the profession? Would this concept help to stall the mass exodus of teachers of color? 

What Does it Mean to Move Beyond Diversity?

In her sermon, Pastor Stutts explained that recruiting diverse people is just the beginning of the work.

“So here is the learning. You’re not done when you’ve recruited a diverse congregation [or] workforce. These are the things we teach the companies. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. So here’s the thing. What is happening to those people after they join? After they are hired, what is the experience that they are getting there? People…are searching for that inclusion, that validation.”

As a Black teacher, I can personally speak to the never-ending feeling of “otherness.” No amount of pedestals one is placed on, not even multiple teaching awards, can truly ever erase this seemingly constant state of not quite being totally included. Teachers of color deserve to be part of our school communities as well as decision-making processes and to feel validated as more than checking a diversity box. The desire to feel included or validated does not disappear for veteran educators. Everyone wants to feel acknowledged, seen, heard, accepted, and welcomed, no matter how seasoned of an educator they are. The desire for inclusion makes one feel like they not only have a seat at the table but that they are wanted and needed at that table. This is what makes one want to stay at the table.

Inclusion is Directly Related to Teacher Retention

Pastor Stutts continues the move beyond diversity to inclusion. This inclusion is imperative for teacher retention. 

“The term inclusion has evolved as the goal. It is one thing to have a diverse organization but is it inclusive? Anybody can hire a diverse person. I’m trying to help you keep them! I’m trying to help you understand about including them in making sure they are getting equitable treatment.”

Pastor Stutts’ work in corporations and organizations is one we could only wish the American education system would look to for guidance. We need to not only increase the teacher workforce and diversity but also, more importantly, learn how to retain teachers of color. The Post-Pandemic Teacher Exodus is going to grow exponentially if America does not first learn to value its current educators of color. Additionally, once one enters this profession, America needs to make sure that teacher experience and expertise are seen for the immeasurable value they hold. Retention begins by creating a sense of inclusion that validates the experts among us. One way to do this is to ask Black teachers for input on more than just ideas for Black History Month or ways to combat racism at schools. Include teachers of color in leadership positions such as instructional leadership teams, school site councils, or as staff representatives at school board or city council meetings. Seek our BIPOC teachers out and let them know their voices are needed and wanted in all spaces. 

Once We Hire Them, Now What?

The most powerful and impactful quote I gleaned from Pastor Stutts was the following: “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. Belonging is wanting to stay at the party. Creating a sense of belonging is a major focus.”  

Once teachers of color are hired do they feel included? Do they feel like they have a voice? Does anyone ever ask them how they feel about the staff or school climate? Do they feel like they feel a sense of belonging? We can invite BIPOC teachers and even ask for their input. But their ideas need to be affirmed, adopted, and implemented. Only then will the sense of belonging be complete. This could be something as simple as ensuring that all cultural and religious holidays are acknowledged in daily or weekly announcements, or even more, having the teachers share their own cultural or religious traditions with the school community. When teachers of color see their voices are truly impactful, then they’ll want to stay in education.

Pastor Stutts’ sermon calls us to move beyond solely focusing on diversity and implement actionable solutions to retain current teachers of color. Conversations about a sustainable racially diverse teacher workforce should not only focus on diversity. It is time to discuss retention strategies that include equity, inclusion, and a true sense of belonging.

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