Teachers of Color (TOC) Foundation Receives $25,000 Peoples Bank Impact Grant

Grant: A lifeline for increasing teacher diversity in Edmonds School District

From the Edmonds Beacon written by Brian Soergel

The majority of students in the Edmonds School District are students of color – 55%. They are taught by predominantly white teachers – 89%. 

That's according to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Edmonds School District is aware of the numbers. So there was some welcome news recently when Peoples Bank, with a branch in Edmonds, awarded a $25,000 impact grant to support its goal of increasing teacher diversity in the Edmonds School District. 

The grant went to the district's Teachers of Color (TOC) Foundation.

It may be a small step, but it's a step.

"We're really just humbled by the support," said Diana White, Edmonds resident, former district school board member, and TOC president. "Because when people recognize the good that we do, we're able to add more members – we call them 'scholars.'"

The TOC Foundation was formed in 2016 in response to feedback from district students and school community members regarding equity in education. According to White – a member of the Prairie Band of Potawatomi tribe – district students have been increasingly vocal for teachers, administrators, and curriculum that reflect their diverse backgrounds.

The pandemic has demonstrated the inequities that continue to impact communities of color especially in access to education, White said, adding that closing the opportunity gap among students of color is critical to improving student success and is a benefit for all students.

"There is just this cycle of dysfunction that kind of permeates our education system. When you're a student of color in your middle school or high school years, and you get sent to the office at a higher rate, you aren't offered accelerated classes, you come to school hungry, or you don't get support services, you're kind of set up to fail in a system that doesn't really support people of color. 

"The graduation rates are ridiculously disproportionate for people of color. They don't see people who look like them leading in the classroom. Maybe they don't even graduate. And so the numbers just dwindle, dwindle, and dwindle."

The Peoples grant will be used to provide scholarships to selected district staff of color – who are often paraeducators – to earn their teaching certificates and pursue careers in education. Scholarship funds help cover tuition costs, books and test fees, support services and mentoring, race and equity training, emergency funding access, professional development, and student teaching stipends.

"Teachers of color can serve as cultural brokers, not only able to help students navigate their school environment and culture, but also to increase the involvement of the students' family.

"This grant from Peoples Bank is more than just critical funding to support our work. It is a validation of what we do and the importance of giving students of color role models who look like them, who come from similar backgrounds, and who are influential in their lives."

Since forming with seed money from the Edmonds-based Hazel Miller Foundation, the TOC Foundation has awarded annual scholarships to 12 scholars. Of these, four have graduated and are teaching in Edmonds School District classrooms, and six will graduate this year. The remaining scholars will graduate in the next year or two. 

The scholarship program did not add any new scholars in 2020 due to the pandemic.

White said those who apply often have been working in schools for years and can be non-classified staff. They can also be single parents or working parents taking care of families.

"It's like a student teaching practicum," White said. "And that can take three to six months. So what holds a lot of people back from becoming a teacher is that they can't afford to not have a paycheck for three to six months. We provide living stipends to keep their paychecks coming, and they are able to feed their families and pay their bills."

"Recognizing and taking steps to address racial disparities within our institutions and communities is a critical first step in creating a more fair and inclusive society," said Lisa Hefter, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Peoples Bank. 

"We are humbled to support the work of the Teachers of Color Foundation and to have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our future educators and the students who look up to them."

The Peoples grant program was launched in 2017 to help fund a specific project, use, or identified purpose that could have a long-lasting, positive impact on the community. Previous recipients include Skagit Habitat for Humanity, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County, and Northwest Youth Services.

For more information about Peoples Bank’s community giving, visit www.peoplesbank-wa.com/about-us/community-giving.

You can also read another article on this grant award from Peoples Bank here at My Edmonds News