Tiffany Brunson, superintendent of Elementary School District 159 in Illinois, reflects on a time when she was the only person of color on a school staff. She talks about addressing issues that often make people uncomfortable. 

Brunson asks school leaders to think about minority students and their experiences in school. It’s the primary reason that students of color do or don’t go into education.

Children who have two or more Black teachers are 36 percent more likely to graduate from college.

One key takeaway from the conversation is the real need for intentionality around this work. It has to be on purpose and strategic for it to work. 

Podcast host Joseph Jones asks about barriers, and Brunson says to “expect pushback.” This is not a zero-sum game; in fact, we all lose when our organizations are not diverse. We have to tackle mindsets and dispositions. 

To view the full list of episodes, click here.