Education Leaders of Color (EDLOC) is a left-of-center grantmaking and education advocacy membership organization. EDLOC announced in March 2022 that it had received funding from Mackenzie Scott’s $3.8 billion philanthropic pledge. ¹

History

Located in Los Angeles, California, EDLOC was founded in 2015 by the late educator and activist Layla Avila, who stated that she started EDLOC to improve educational outcomes for minority students by uniting insights and approaches from minority teachers and promoting members to positions of leadership in education. ² EDLOC announced in March 2022 that it had received funding from Mackenzie Scott’s $3.8 billion philanthropic pledge. ³

At the end of March 2022, EDLOC released a press statement reacting to President Joe Biden’s budget request to Congress for 2023. While praising the president for his proposals to increase funding of Title I, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and other left-progressive priorities, EDLOC criticized his proposed increases in police and military funding. ⁴ EDLOC had previously criticized Congress for falling short of Biden’s inaugural request for a 40% increase in education spending; Congress had approved an increase of only 3% in a $1.4 trillion spending package, and the budget did not increase funding for free-meal programs for minority communities. ⁵

Projects

Network Convenings

EDLOC hosts a series of annual conventions called “Network Convenings.” Attended by teachers and activists from various left-of-center education, racial equity, and social justice advocacy sectors, the 2022 National Convening featured topics such as “food justice,” “inclusive learning experiences,” and promotion of home ownership among minority groups. The 2022 convention was held in Texas, nearly a year after the May 2021 passage of its law banning teaching of critical race theory in classrooms. EDLOC CEO Sharhonda Bossier sent out an email to attendees before the meeting stating, “We seek to eliminate discrimination everywhere it is thriving. We are fighting our battles in every state across the country, including Texas.” ⁶

Boulder Fund

Boulder Fund, EDLOC’s flagship grant program, highlights teachers and programs nationwide that align with its views and goals. Launched in 2018, Boulder Fund has awarded more than $4 million in grants including a grant in 2020 to David Johns, executive director of LGBT youth organization National Black Justice Coalition. Over its lifetime, the fund has issued grants to 32 leaders and organizations, awarding $1 million to twelve individuals in 2022 alone. ⁷

People

Sharhonda Bossier, CEO of EDLOC, is the co-founder of the now-defunct New York-based charter school advocacy group Families for Excellent Schools. She is also former vice president of network impact at Education Cities. Bossier is a board member at the national arts and storytelling collective Narrative 4. ⁸

Heather Harding, board member at EDLOC, is also the director of Education Policy and Public Understanding for the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. She is also the former senior vice president of community partnerships at the teacher training and placement group Teach for America. Harding and Teach for America’s approach to educator training came under fire in 2012 when several education professionals raised questions about that group’s lack of residency training, high teacher attrition rate, and its use of funds. ^{9 10}

Courtney Lee, chief of staff at EDLOC, is also the former director of equity and inclusion at teacher training and placement group The New Teacher Project (TNTP). ¹¹

1. “MacKenzie Scott Strengthens EDLOC with Injection of New Money.” EDLOC. March 23, 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.edloc.org/blog-posts/mackenzie-scott-strengthens-edloc-with-injection-of-new-money-edloc-ceo-sharhonda-bossier-releases-statement
2. Layla Avila.” Linkedin. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/layla-avila-998a677
3. “MacKenzie Scott Strengthens EDLOC with Injection of New Money.” EDLOC. March 23, 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.edloc.org/blog-posts/mackenzie-scott-strengthens-edloc-with-injection-of-new-money-edloc-ceo-sharhonda-bossier-releases-statement
4. “Education Leaders of Color Reacts to Biden’s Budget Request.” EDLOC. March 30, 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022.  https://www.edloc.org/blog-posts/education-leaders-of-color-react-to-bidens-budget-request
5. “Education Leaders of Color Reacts to Federal Spending Bill.” EDLOC. March 16, 2022. Accessed May 20, 2022. https://www.edloc.org/blog-posts/edloc-on-spending-bill
6. Brinson, Coron. “Reflections from the 2022 EDLOC National Convening.” Great School Voices. Undated. Accessed May 23, 2022.  https://greatschoolvoices.org/2022/04/reflections-from-the-2022-edloc-national-convening/
7. “2020 Boulder Fund Grantees.” EDLOC. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.edloc.org/boulder-found-2020
8. “Sharhonda Bossier.” Education Cities. Accessed May 23, 2022. http://www.education-cities.org/staff/sharhonda-bossier/
9. Cody, Anthony. “Deepening the Debate Over Teach for America.” Education Week. April 9, 2012. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-deepening-the-debate-over-teach-for-america-responses-to-heather-harding/2012/04
10. Cody, Anthony.   “Tough Questions for Teach for America: Heather Harding Responds.” Education Week.  April 2, 2012. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-tough-questions-for-teach-for-america-heather-harding-responds/2012/04
11. “Courtney Lee.” EDLOC. Accessed May 23, 2022. https://www.edloc.org/courtney-lee