Growing number of Hispanic candidates enter California teacher preparation programs

'Little by little, our classrooms are beginning to look more like the students we serve.’

Top left: Anayeli Martinez, resident in the Spanish Bilingual Teacher Residency Program in Madera. Bottom row: Gladys Villanueva, professor in residence for the program, on a cohort cultural exchange experience in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Anayeli Martinez is beginning her journey to become an educator as a resident in the Spanish Bilingual Teacher Residency Program in Madera. The collaborative effort between Fresno State and Madera Unified School District is the only fully bilingual residency program in which candidates are placed in dual immersion classrooms, teaching primarily in Spanish. 

Martinez joins the steady increase of new Hispanic teacher candidates enrolled in teacher preparation programs over the past five years, representing a substantial demographic shift in the profession.

The 2023-24 Teacher Supply in California report reveals a 23% increase in the proportion of new enrolled Hispanic teacher candidates from 2019-20 to 2023-24, with more than half of the candidates identifying as a race other than white. In the same time period, just over 54% of TK-12 enrolled students identified as Hispanic/Latinx while about one-fifth of the proportion identified as white.

“I am very excited to be able to work with bilingual and emerging bilingual students. I am also very happy to have the opportunity to connect more with my culture and heritage through this placement,” Martinez said. “I sometimes still can’t believe that I am pursuing a career I never would’ve imagined for myself and yet I still feel an undeniable calling to it.”

For Gladys Villanueva, professor in residence for the program, the recent data holds professional and personal significance. As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Villanueva sees the increase in Hispanic teacher candidates as a reflection of her community’s commitment to educational equity.

“It tells me that little by little, our classrooms are beginning to look more like the students we serve. As a Latina in higher education, it means so much to see more of our community stepping into the profession,” Villanueva said.

“I am deeply proud to be part of a program that uplifts and supports our Latino community. Together, we are paving the way for future generations and planting the seeds of generational wealth and opportunity.”

One of the most distinctive aspects of the Spanish Bilingual Teacher Residency Program is the cultural exchange experience in Oaxaca, Mexico. According to Villanueva, many of the students in Madera trace their roots to Oaxaca, a region celebrated for its cultural diversity, vibrant indigenous traditions, and complex colonial history.

Teacher residents spend several weeks immersed in Oaxacan culture, learning not from textbooks but by living the culture firsthand. The experience challenges residents to critically examine their teaching through new lenses and deepens their understanding of the knowledge and cultural capital their students bring into the classroom.

“During the exchange, residents visit schools to see Mexican education in action, and they attend the local university, where they engage in learning about language, history, and culture, including through the arts, such as traditional dance. By the end of the trip, residents return not only with new knowledge but also with a profound respect for the heritage and lived experiences of the children and families they will serve,” Villanueva said.

Current aspiring educators in the Madera Teacher Residency program, like Martinez, exemplify the many unique paths that can lead to teaching. Martinez initially rejected suggestions to become a teacher while she was pursuing an associate’s degree in English. However, her perspective changed during the Covid-19 pandemic when she helped two first graders with virtual learning.

“While at first it was difficult, I later found the experience enjoyable and fulfilling,” she said. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Literature and Creative Writing, she tested her interest in education by working in a reading lab at an elementary school, which solidified her love for working with students and led her to apply to the residency program.

Honoring heritage while building futures

For both Villanueva and Martinez, National Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, 2025, carries deep professional and personal significance. Villanueva views it as a time to honor “the strength, resilience, and brilliance of our communities” while serving as a call to action to ensure that classrooms, schools, and institutions reflect the voices, cultures, and histories of students and their families.

“It reminds me of the sacrifices and dreams of our families, those who worked the fields, raised children, and built communities so that future generations could have access to education and other opportunities,” she said.

Martinez’s perspective extends to cultural preservation and connection. As someone who feels she lost Spanish language skills when she started elementary school, she hopes to help future students maintain their bilingual abilities.

“My wish for future generations of students is that they do not feel like they lost a language in school but rather were able to develop and grow in both English and Spanish. My hope is that, unlike me, they will not have to rescue their native language in their adult years but rather are able to carry it with them to adulthood,” Martinez said.

Both educators hope the positive trend in Hispanic teacher candidates also signals a growing movement toward educational equity and cultural responsiveness. Villanueva adds that to truly shift the demographics of teachers across California to better reflect the students they serve, there must be focus not only on recruitment but also on sustainability.

“If we can support teachers holistically: academically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually, we will not only diversify the profession but also retain educators who can lead with heart, cultural wisdom, and resilience. That’s how we build a teaching force that truly mirrors California’s students while sustaining the joy and purpose that drew us to education in the first place.”

California's 2025-26 state budget includes $464 million for teacher recruitment, including: 

• $300 million in new funding for student teacher stipends
• $70 million to extend the Teacher Residency Program
• $64 million to extend the Golden State Teacher Grant program
• $30 million to extend the National Board Certification program