Texas’ Teachers Are More Diverse Than California’s: Report

While California might be known for a more liberal focus on diversity in its public education, a new report revealed that Texas’ teachers are more diverse than the Golden State’s.

The report from the National Council on Teacher Quality found that 43 percent of Texas’ teacher workforce was composed of people from historically disadvantaged groups in 2022. In California, the percentage was roughly 33.

Additionally, Texas had 8.1 percentage points more teachers from historically disadvantaged groups than expected when compared with working-age adults from historically disadvantaged groups with degrees. The number declined by 1.9 percentage points since 2014.

California saw 6 percentage points more teachers from historically disadvantaged groups than expected when compared with working-age adults from historically disadvantaged groups with degrees. But number rose 1.8 percentage points since 2014.

The figures are less surprising when you look at the states’ economic and demographic realities.

“At first glance, you might think wait a second: Texas, a state where education funding and policy seem to lean toward political theater rather than genuine investment in schools, has more diverse teachers than California?” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek.

“But looking at data and considering it further, it’s not that surprising. Texas, for all its flaws, has a growing and diverse population that ends up reflected in classrooms. Meanwhile, California is choking on its affordability crisis. If teachers can’t afford to live where they teach, how can a state attract or retain a diverse workforce?”

Nationally, West Virginia, Vermont, Iowa and Idaho had some of the lowest rates of diversity when it came to the teacher workforce, with people of color making up only 1.8 percent to 4.8 percent.

The top states for teacher diversity were New Mexico, Texas and Hawaii, as well as Washington, D.C. While New Mexico had 42 percent of its teacher workforce identify as people of color, D.C. had 72 percent of its teachers identify as racial minorities.

On a larger scale, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) found the diversity of the teacher workforce is growing at a slower pace than the diversity of college-educated adults. This essentially means people of color who could be teachers are increasingly opting out.

“Teachers of color have a positive impact on all students—especially students of color—yet our teacher workforce continues to lack racial diversity,” NCTQ President Heather Peske said in a statement. “Addressing this issue begins with better data.”

Jennifer Lee Magas, a communications professor at Nova Southeastern and a first-generation teacher from Bridgeport, Connecticut, said she has seen the challenges and opportunities a first-generation educator can have in a classroom. Magas has taught in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and now in Florida.

“The data showing that Texas has narrower gaps in teacher diversity compared to California is particularly striking,” Magas told Newsweek. “In Texas, teachers of color are only 1.3 percentage points fewer than expected when compared against working-age adults of color with degrees, while California’s gap is significantly larger at 12.8 percentage points.”

Texas may be able to get a more diverse teacher workforce because of targeted recruitment and partnerships with historically underserved communities, Magas said.

“I noticed during my time at Texas Tech University that the faculty often reflected greater diversity than the student body, which might be attributed to these proactive efforts,” Magas said.

“In contrast, California’s larger disparities, despite its high student diversity, raise concerns about systemic barriers such as access to teacher training programs, credentialing pipelines and challenges in retaining diverse educators.”

In the Northeast, states like Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts are up against significant challenges, as Connecticut had a 39-point gap between teachers and students of color. That grew by 7.2 percentage points since 2014.

“This isn’t just about Texas vs. California,” Driscoll said. “It’s a reflection of how broken our system is. Diversity in teaching matters because students thrive when they see themselves in their educators.

“States like Texas aren’t achieving this because of grand plan. They’re stumbling into it because their demographics demand it. On the flip side, California’s struggles reflect how systemic inequities undermine the very ideals it champions.”