Although Minnesota has started to move the needle on teacher diversity, we still have a very long way to go. Over the past few years, policymakers have created a variety of incentives to increase the numbers of teachers of color in our state—along with some changes to teacher preparation and licensure systems—but too many obstacles remain. To better understand these barriers and their impact, Josh Crosson, Haben Ghebregergish and Jocelyn McQuirter convened a group of people of color who seriously considered entering the K-12 teaching profession in Minnesota but ultimately decided on other career paths. In their EDTalk, the three share what they learned from these conversations and how recurring themes aligned with barriers at both the policy and program level. EDTalks is co-presented by Achieve Twin Cities and Graves Ventures, a project of The Graves Foundation. Learn more at www.achievetwincities.org/edtalks or follow us on Twitter at #EDTalksMN​. This EDTalk was live streamed from Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN on November 13, 2023. It was emceed by Adia Morris.