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Inside Promise Harvey’s North Philadelphia classroom, children sat rapt on a recent Tuesday as they listened to Jabari Jumps, a book about a boy anxious about tackling his first leap from a high-diving board.

It was both literacy lesson and a chance for the rising third graders to talk about what it means to be nervous and brave. But the class was also part of an effort to build a pipeline of Black teachers — an increasing focus in education as districts better understand the importance of a diverse educator force for student achievement and well-being at the same time they cope with a national teacher shortage.

Research shows that a diverse teaching force benefits all students, particularly Black children, in academic achievement, college attendance, and positive racial identity.

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