enrollment due to COVID–19, 83 percent have had budget cuts, and half have reduced staffing. The Association predicts that, absent additional support, a sizable number of educator preparation programs will close, eliminating needed capacity to produce the profession-ready teachers that the Nation needs. (7) A 2015 Government Accountability Office analysis showed that only 19 percent of students who were eligible for the Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant program (referred to as TEACH Grants ) in the 2013–2014 academic year utilized this program, yet the cost of college remains a barrier for many students who seek to become teachers. Institutions like the University of Northern Iowa have successfully utilized TEACH Grants for 57 percent of its TEACH Grant-eligible teacher candidates, with over one thousand moving into teaching positions in high-need fields in high-need schools. (8) Only 22 percent of educators feel they are very prepared to teach social and emotional learning in classrooms, and 51 percent report that the level of social and emotional learning professional development offered at their school is not sufficient. (9) Our Nation’s schools are experiencing a severe diversity gap that negatively impacts student achievement and school culture. Fifty percent of current students are from minority groups while only 18 percent of teachers are from such groups, according to a 2016 study by the Brookings Institution. (10) A 2016 report conducted by the Department of Education shows that teachers of color tend to provide more culturally relevant teaching and better understand the situations that students of color may face. These factors help develop trusting teacher-student relationships. Researchers from Vanderbilt University also found that greater racial and ethnic diversity among school principals benefits students, especially students of color. (11) Research shows that increasing diversity in the teaching profession can have positive impacts on student educational