​Our Story

Dr. Diarese George, ​a former classroom teacher in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, founded the Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance (TECA) in Fall 2016. He and other founding board members saw a lack of people of color involved in education policy at all levels, as well as a lack of convening space and resources in Tennessee for the recruitment and retention of educators of color.

TECA submitted its 501(c)3 paperwork in early 2017 to formalize its status as a non-profit in Tennessee. Around the same time, TECA was selected by Conexión Américas as a sub-grantee for its educational equity grants, forming the foundation for the programming we have now. 

Since then TECA has formed a full Board of Directors by intentionally targeting a diverse community of educators with experience at various levels of the education landscape.

Our mission is to amplify the voice, presence, and support for educators of color while remaining teacher-led, student-centered, and solutions-oriented. We aim to provide mentorship, fellowship, and leadership opportunities for educators of color across the state.

Our Leadership

Dr. Diarese George

Founder & Executive Director

Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance

Derrick Williams

Executive Board Member

PASSAGE Coordinator, Metro-Nashville Public Schools

Sylvia Flowers

Executive Board Member

Independent Consultant

Our Partners

Here are some of the amazing organizations that choose to partner with us.