As teacher shortages make headlines, a small public high school on the campus of UNC Charlotte is preparing teens to enter the profession. Some say it could be a model for getting more teachers of color into classrooms.

Five years ago Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and UNC Charlotte launched a partnership to prepare Latino teachers for principal jobs. But the number of Latino principals has declined, and the hurdles illustrate a statewide challenge.

One of the big challenges for Latino students and families across North Carolina is the language barrier. Burke County has hired four Spanish-speaking parent educators as a way of helping close this communication gap.

A North Carolina task force seeking to get more teachers of color into public schools calls for changes that in pay, recruitment strategies and school culture.

The success of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools rests heavily on how its Latino students fare. They’re the fastest growing segment of the student body, and saw some of the biggest setbacks during the pandemic.