2026 Policy Principles
Next Steps Toward Restoration and Belonging for Black Educators in California
Across California, Black educators told us a clear truth: Representation matters, but representation without restoration will not sustain us.
Aya’s 2026 Policy Principles translate their stories into concrete changes districts, counties, and the state can make now to move from symbolic representation to real restoration and belonging.
1. Establish Black Educator Advisory Councils
Black educators want more than a seat in the audience; they need a seat at the table.
We call for formal Black Educator Advisory Councils at the district and state levels that:
Shape policies and implementation that impact Black educators and students
Review and advise on staffing, discipline, climate, curriculum, and equity initiatives
Have clear structure, authority, and regular meeting schedules
Bottom line: Black educators must be decision-makers, not just “consulted.”
2. Fund Retention and Restoration
Mentorship and wellness are not extra—they’re infrastructure.
We call for dedicated funding at district and state levels to:
Provide paid, structured mentorship for Black educators
Create and sustain affinity-based professional learning communities
Invest in wellness initiatives that prevent burnout and support healing
Bottom line: Stop asking Black educators to hold everyone else while no one holds them.
3. Revise Leadership Frameworks
Belonging can’t grow under harmful leadership.
We call for leadership standards and evaluations that:
Embed care, empathy, and cultural responsiveness as core competencies
Recognize and reward leaders who mentor and protect Black educators
Hold leaders accountable when their practices cause racial harm
Bottom line: Leadership must heal, not harm—and systems must measure that.
4. Anchor Educators in Community
Black educators are being priced out of the very neighborhoods they serve.
We call for teacher-housing and financial supports that:
Help Black educators live where they teach
Offset the impact of gentrification and rising housing costs
Prioritize high-need communities where Black educators are essential anchors
Bottom line: You can’t build community schools if educators can’t afford to stay in the community.
5. Center Storytelling as Strategy
Black educators’ stories are not anecdotes; they are data.
We call for ongoing, protected processes to:
Regularly gather stories and qualitative data from Black educators
Use those stories to inform budgets, policies, and priorities
Share narratives publicly (with consent) to build understanding and political will
Bottom line: Policy must be grounded in Black educators’ lived experience, with data used in service of that reality.