Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance Funded to Support Diverse Teachers in PreK-12 Classrooms

​Funding and management assistance from NewSchools Venture Fund will fuel efforts to recruit, support and cultivate more classroom teachers of color 

​NASHVILLE, TN, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 – The Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance (TECA) is proud to announce its selection as a member of the Diverse Teachers cohort at NewSchools Venture Fund, generously supported by the Walton Family Foundation. 

​TECA is one of 14 organizations in the cohort. Each cohort member is committed to enhancing the recruitment, development and retention of underrepresented teachers, (including Black, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American/Alaskan Native teachers). In addition to financial support, NewSchools will provide management assistance and create a community of practice for the cohort members. 

​TECA aims to develop, support, and train educators of color with decision-making power who shape, create, and influence policy. Funding from NewSchools will support our pilot for a teacher leader fellowship in Middle Tennessee. The fellowship will develop, connect and elevate teachers of color in the areas of policy, advocacy, and leadership skills. “We’re excited to create leadership opportunities for teachers of color to address systemic inequities and create localized systemic change in their building, districts, and communities,” said Dr. Diarese George, founder and chairman for TECA. 

​“I am proud of NewSchools’ commitment to this work,” said Frances Messano, a senior managing partner at NewSchools Venture Fund who leads the Diverse Leaders strategy. “Today’s students are the most racially diverse in the history of this country and it’s time to have teachers who match that diversity. We, with support from the Walton Family Foundation, are eager to support this new cohort focused on diversifying the teaching force. This cohort is an impressive group that will make a difference,” she added. 

About Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance The Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance is a statewide nonprofit organization founded in 2016. Based in Nashville, Tennessee TECA focuses on amplifying the voice and presence of educators of color, while remaining student-centered and solutions oriented. Learn more at www.tneca.org. 

​About NewSchools NewSchools Venture Fund is a national nonprofit that supports and invests in promising teams of educators and innovators who want to reimagine learning. We help them accomplish their missions to achieve outstanding results for the schools, students and educators they serve. We are committed to helping students graduate high school prepared and inspired to achieve their most ambitious dreams and plans. Through our investing, management assistance, network building, and thought leadership, NewSchools helps to reimagine PreK-12 education.