Freedom Dreaming asks us to see beyond our current reality. The current reality in NYC Public Schools is that many students do not see themselves in the teachers in their classrooms. The Inclusive Teacher Recruitment and Hiring Initiative (ITRHI) looks to create a student experience that is not bound by existing restrictive structures. Based on current research (UofM, 2021) about the proven benefits of hiring and retaining teachers of color, our initiative works to bring teachers of color into NYC Public Schools and support school leaders in creating responsive environments in which diverse school communities can thrive.  

ITHRI at the Office of Teacher Recruitment & Quality explores tangible scaffolded resources that support schools in addressing implicit bias in their hiring practices, interviewing prospective teachers, and introducing teachers to their school communities. ITRHI is a continuation of Central’s Inclusive Hiring work and utilizes the foundation of Implicit Bias trainings that occur in the DOE. 

Elaborating on a Participatory Action Research framework, this session highlights how ITRHI envisions school-based efforts to implement equitable teacher recruitment and retention practices. It also aims to address reimagining success within a system that isn’t always conducive to district-wide change. 

It is our ultimate goal that through facilitating a PowerPoint presentation, breakout discussions, and a Q & A session, participants will learn about how ITRHI plans to expand, current cross-team/office coalition building, efforts to pinpoint teacher retention, and new school-based resources planned for the next few years.