The DELPI Coalition (see “Our Partners” section), a wide-ranging network of education organizations, joined Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) in Sacramento on May 1 to advocate for the Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative (DELPI), a new investment in the credentialing, placement, and retention of 300 diverse and culturally responsive TK-12 school administrators.
Bradford and Bonta introduced a budget proposal to fund the DELPI and members of the coalition visited lawmakers’ offices to share personal experiences about why representation on campuses is important and how the DELPI will strengthen California’s schools.
“We know the power of representation and how important it is for young people to see folks that look like them in leadership positions,” said Bradford. “The Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative will help close the gap for administrators, open up pathways of advancement for teachers and strengthen our schools’ ability to deliver for the next generation of leaders.”
This initiative would help close student equity gaps and increase administrator diversity across California’s schools. In California, school leaders of color are grossly underrepresented. While 60% of students in K-12 public schools are Black or Latinx, only 32% of public schools have Black or Latinx administrators.
“There is simply too much at stake for California’s future generations of leaders to pass this opportunity up to invest in our campuses,” said Lashante Scott, an assistant principal and participant at the DELPI advocacy day.
“It is urgent that we act now and show our support for this proposal, which presents a chance for more leaders of color to run our schools and serve our students.”
In addition to supporting 300 aspiring TK-12 school administrators, the DELPI will aim to strengthen California’s educator workforce, increase retention for educators of color by bolstering workplace culture in schools and better inform future policy decisions by tracking recruitment and retention data.
