On May 8, 2026, during our inaugural Igniting the Future of Education investment luncheon, we announced a $225,000 investment in Teachers Like Me to support the organization’s mission of recruiting, developing, and retaining Black educators across the Kansas City metropolitan area. This investment was aligned with our Community Blueprint for KC Schools, which reflects the voices of more than 150 Kansas City students, families, and educators who identified what must be true in order for our schools to truly serve young people.
Teachers Like Me advances the Community Blueprint’s commitment to Leadership & Future Access, which recognizes that students thrive when they are surrounded by strong, representative leadership. By creating pathways for more Black educators to teach, lead, and remain in Kansas City classrooms, Teachers Like Me is helping ensure every student has access to excellent educators while strengthening the long-term future of our region’s education workforce.
Today, Teachers Like Me also serves as a partner in the Teach KC Collaborative, a nine-organization coalition working to recruit, train, place, and retain 1,500 new teachers across the Kansas City metropolitan area over the next decade. Together, these efforts are helping build a stronger, more sustainable educator workforce that reflects the diversity, talent, and promise of our region.
This week, we sat down with Teachers Like Me Founder and President Dr. Trinity Davis to discuss the organization’s mission, the impact of this investment, and why building community is just as important as recruiting teachers. Read the conversation below.
BLAQUE Kansas City: Dr. Davis, for readers who may not know you yet, can you please start by introducing yourself and sharing a bit about your background?
Dr. Trinity Davis: I’m Trinity Davis, Founder and President of Teachers Like Me.
My journey into education began with a simple desire to make a difference. After graduating from college, I became an elementary teacher with a background in special education. Over the next several years, I taught elementary and middle school before becoming a literacy coach and later an associate professor, where I prepared and mentored future educators.
Throughout my career, one thing became increasingly clear: I was often one of the few Black educators in the room. Schools consistently wanted to hire more teachers who reflected their students, but there simply weren’t enough entering the profession.
Later, while helping lead curriculum and instruction for Kansas City Public Schools during its accreditation efforts, I saw firsthand how essential great teachers are to student success. My doctoral research reinforced something I already believed—we need more teachers who look like the students they serve. That realization ultimately led me to found Teachers Like Me.
BLAQUE Kansas City: During our Igniting the Future of Education convening, Teachers Like Me received a $225,000 investment to support your mission and impact. What did that moment mean to you personally as Founder and President?
Dr. Trinity Davis: It meant everything.
The timing couldn’t have been better. Building an organization like this isn’t inexpensive. We aren’t simply recruiting teachers—we’re helping create economic mobility, investing in professional development, and even developing housing so teachers can afford to remain in the profession.
Over the last couple of years, funding has been uncertain, and we’ve had to make difficult decisions about how to sustain our work. This investment came exactly when we needed it most.
It gave us the ability to continue building, support our staff, and move forward with confidence. For the first time in a while, I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel—and honestly, sleep a little easier at night.
BLAQUE Kansas City: For readers who may not be familiar with Teachers Like Me, what is the organization’s mission, and what gap are you working to fill?
Dr. Trinity Davis: Our mission is simple: recruit, develop, and retain quality Black teachers in the Kansas City region.
We partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country to recruit talented educators because Missouri simply isn’t producing enough new teachers to meet the growing demand.
When we launched Teachers Like Me, only about 2.8 percent of teachers across the Kansas City metro were Black, despite the demographics of many of our students.
We knew we couldn’t wait for the problem to solve itself—we had to go find great educators. That’s exactly what we do.
BLAQUE Kansas City: Why is representation in education such an important mission for you personally?
Dr. Trinity Davis: I experienced its impact firsthand.
As a Black educator, I realized I was often able to connect with students and families in ways that others couldn’t. Representation creates trust. It creates belonging. It allows students to see themselves reflected in the adults leading their classrooms.
My research also found that schools where Black students were thriving often had educators who not only reflected their students but also lived in the communities they served.
When teachers know their communities, attend church with families, see students at the grocery store, and build relationships beyond the classroom, education becomes something much deeper.
Every child deserves to see themselves in their teachers.
BLAQUE Kansas City: Trust is foundational to meaningful partnership. Why do you trust BLAQUE Kansas City as a partner in this work?
Dr. Trinity Davis: Because we’re moving in the same direction.
I always say that not all funding is good funding. Every opportunity has to align with our mission.
BLAQUE Kansas City shares our vision. We all believe our students deserve better, and we understand that no single organization can transform education alone.
Teachers Like Me focuses on bringing exceptional educators into classrooms. BLAQUE Kansas City strengthens the broader ecosystem around those educators. Together—and alongside organizations like The Educator Academy—we can accomplish far more than any one organization could on its own.
BLAQUE Kansas City: If we came back in 12 to 18 months, what do you hope this investment will have unlocked for Teachers Like Me?
Dr. Trinity Davis: Capacity.
This is our sixth teacher cohort, and for the first time we’re operating at full capacity.
This investment allows us to recruit more teachers, strengthen our professional development model, hire additional instructional leadership, and serve more educators across the region—not just those in our own program.
Instead of turning talented teachers away because we lack resources, we’ll have the ability to welcome more of them into Kansas City and support them well.
Ultimately, this investment helps us fulfill our mission on a much larger scale.
BLAQUE Kansas City: Beyond recruiting teachers, Teachers Like Me also emphasizes building community. Why is that so important?
Dr. Trinity Davis: Community is one of the biggest reasons our teachers stay.
We’ve intentionally built more than a program—we’ve built a family.
Our teachers live near one another, gather for Bible study, support each other outside of school, and are building lasting roots in Kansas City. Many arrive having never visited the city before, yet they stay, purchase homes, and become part of the community.
We’re currently building additional teacher housing and creating shared community spaces because we know belonging is just as important as recruitment.
Recruiting great teachers matters. Retaining them requires community.
BLAQUE Kansas City: For readers who want to support or get involved with Teachers Like Me, how can they help?
Dr. Trinity Davis: We’re launching a campaign called Rooted in the Classroom, where we’re inviting 200 people to commit to giving $20 each month.
Those monthly gifts will help fund teachers’ master’s degrees, classroom coaching, and professional development so they can become even stronger educators.
Our students don’t have time to wait. We want teachers entering classrooms fully supported and equipped to succeed—and community support makes that possible.
To learn more, visit their website, follow Teachers Like Me on Instagram, and stay connected with BLAQUE Kansas City as we continue investing in community-driven solutions that strengthen education across Kansas City.