Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education
The DRIVE Coalition—Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education—is North Carolina’s statewide initiative to increase the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the educator workforce.
WHAT?
THE HISTORY OF DRIVE
The coalition was established to continue the work begun by Governor Roy Cooper’s DRIVE Task Force. The Task Force, created under Executive Order 113 in 2019 brought together educators, parents, policymakers, and advocates to develop a roadmap for achieving greater equity in education. In January 2021, the Task Force released a final report outlining clear recommendations to recruit, prepare, support, and retain educators of color in North Carolina’s public schools.
At the close of 2023, the Task Force created a succession plan and voted unanimously to designate the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity as the lead entity responsible for carrying the work forward. The DRIVE Coalition was formed to actualize the recommendations from the Task Force and to build a collective movement for change.
THE DATA
Yet the teacher workforce remains disproportionately white, with students of color far outpacing teachers of color across the state.
Black students consistently make up 24–26% of the student population, but Black teachers represent only 18%, even after a decade of slow growth.
Students who identify as Latine, Asian, Indigenous, or multiracial make up ~ 33% of the student population — triple the percentage of teachers from these groups.
WHY IT MATTERS
SO WHAT?
THE WORK
Despite a growing student population of color, North Carolina’s educator workforce remains disproportionately white. The DRIVE Taskforce developed recommendations to address this gap, the DRIVE Coalition exists to close the gap by:
NOW WHAT?
GET INVOLVED
The DRIVE Coalition’s strength lies in its people. We bring together educators, district leaders, nonprofit partners, and advocates through Regional Committees committed to turning policy into practice.
About Regional Committees
MAKE YOUR MARK
Regional committees meet monthly and serve as the heart of the DRIVE Coalition’s work, driving local implementation, policy ideas, and collaborative projects. Sign up to get access to upcoming meetings, resources, and opportunities to contribute to this transformative statewide effort.
DRIVE Task Force Recommendations
These recommendations serve as a roadmap for strengthening the recruitment, preparation, support, and retention of a diverse educator workforce in North Carolina.
DRIVE Coalition
Issue Brief
Explore the current landscape of educator diversity in North Carolina and policy recommendations to address it.
Educator Diversity Dashboard
A statewide dashboard to track progress on educator diversity goals.
National Teacher Diversity Dashboard
Comparative educator diversity data by state is available via the National Council on Teacher Quality Dashboard
Advisory Board
The DRIVE Coalition Advisory Board provides strategic guidance to ensure statewide alignment and impact. Members represent leading education and equity-focused organizations, including: