Cassandra Herring is on a mission to increase educational equity in public schools by diversifying the teacher workforce.

As the founder, president, and CEO of the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity (BranchED), Dr. Cassandra Herring leads the only nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to strengthening the impact of teacher preparation programs at minority-serving institutions (MSIs), an important step on the path toward broader goals of diversifying the teaching profession and championing a quality education for all students.

At a time when students of color vastly outnumber teachers of color in U.S. public schools, MSIs are playing an essential role in preparing the next generation of American teachers. BranchED supports teacher preparation programs at MSIs with practical training, technical assistance, and coaching, fostering connections that spur collaboration and innovation while centering the voices of MSIs in the national conversation about educational equity. Since 2017, BranchED has worked with nearly 500 faculty from more than 170 MSIs to deliver high-quality teacher preparation.

“We must equip and empower teachers to embrace diversity as an asset for learning in their classrooms,” Cassandra says.