To develop and support an effective, diverse educator workforce, education leaders in California are encouraged to coordinate, or braid, state funds, federal funds, and specialized grants. By braiding funds, education leaders can adapt to the ebb and flow of annual budgets to better meet local needs that can improve outcomes for students.

This brief is intended to support education leaders in California with braiding funds to address various educator workforce priority areas, such as hiring practices and recruitment and retention. Each section lists the state-specialized grants and other funding sources that can be braided to implement those strategies and is informed by recommendations from the California Coalition for Educator Diversity. The examples in this brief are not an exhaustive list but are offered as a guide to help education leaders explore the types of funds that may be braided to achieve short-term and long-term priority areas that support educators’ needs.