"The nation needs a two-pronged approach to improving teacher diversity. We need to expand high-quality recruitment programs... We also need to do more to improve the professional experience of teachers of color... Solutions will not be easy. It will take hard work, smart policy, and above all, the political will to ensure that the nation has an effective and diverse workforce" (Boser).
Page by: Madeline Santos
While the number of students of color is predicted to soon exceed the number of white students in American classrooms, national trends show that by the year 2020, “the percentage of teachers of color will shrink to an all-time low of 5 percent of the total teacher force” (Brundin). The problem in teacher diversity is not only the difficulty of recruiting new teacher of color, but also the need to retain teachers of color who are already in classrooms.
Not many students are interesting in becoming teachers, and the high cost of college keeps many students of color from pursuing jobs in teaching. As a result, the recruitment of teachers of color can be very difficult. However, alternative certification programs allow college graduates to enter classrooms without conventional teaching preparation. Such programs prove to be very successful in recruiting teachers of color, as “in 2008, 27% of all African-American teachers and 25% of Hispanic teachers came into the classroom through alternative routes” (Boser). Alternative route programs provide students with financial assistance to cover the high costs for the tests necessary to become a teacher, while also giving the students the support to pursue a teaching career. “Recruitment efforts that seek teachers who are likely to succeed and provide support while in the classroom, even in challenging schools, can help in increasing retention” (Bireda and Chait). When recruitment programs focus on finding teachers who will be effective in any classroom, the challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers of color are both solved. |
In comparison, “during the 2003-04 school year, about 20% more minority teachers left the field than entered”, according to Bireda and Chait, “such high attrition rates can neutralize the effective recruitment strategies”. With so many teachers of color quitting, recruiting teachers of color becomes less effective on increasing teacher diversity. The largest issue with retaining teachers of color is “dissatisfaction with school conditions” (Achinstein et al. 86). Teachers of color are more likely than white teachers to work in urban schools, which “often present conditions that reduce teacher retention rates” (Achinstein et al. 82). With more teachers of color in schools with less desirable conditions, it is not surprising that many teachers of color leave the field. Along with improved conditions in schools, teachers also need to be supported and be able to relate with their colleagues. Increasing retention rates requires “schools that provide social, human, and cultural resources and power structures and relations that support and empower teachers” (Achinstein et al. 99).
Although solutions to recruit and retain more teachers of color can be difficult and time-intensive, teacher diversity provides students with examples of future career paths. Therefore, “increasing the number of current teachers of color may be instrumental to increasing the number of future teachers of color” (Bireda and Chait). |
Works cited
Achinstein, B., Ogawa, R. T., Sexton, D., Freitas, C. (2010). Retaining teachers of color: A pressing problem and a potential strategy for “hard-to-staff” schools. Review of Educational Research 80(1), 71-107.
Bireda, Saba, and Robin Chait. "Increasing Teacher Diversity." Center for American Progress. N.p., 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2011/11/09/10636/increasing-teacher-diversity/>.
Boser, Ulrich. "Teacher Diversity Matters." Center for American Progress. N.p., 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2011/11/09/10657/teacher-diversity-matters/>.
Brundin, Jenny. "Race Matters in the Classroom." Colorado Public Radio. N.p., 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cpr.org/news/story/race-matters-classroom-why-are-all-my-teachers-white>.
Bireda, Saba, and Robin Chait. "Increasing Teacher Diversity." Center for American Progress. N.p., 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2011/11/09/10636/increasing-teacher-diversity/>.
Boser, Ulrich. "Teacher Diversity Matters." Center for American Progress. N.p., 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2011/11/09/10657/teacher-diversity-matters/>.
Brundin, Jenny. "Race Matters in the Classroom." Colorado Public Radio. N.p., 7 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.cpr.org/news/story/race-matters-classroom-why-are-all-my-teachers-white>.