“‘We need to change the pay, but we also need to change the status… that will change who is attracted to teaching. we are not going to have a significantly more diverse teaching force until we have more minority people going to college” (Magan 3)
Page by: Evelyn Tapia
In America’s education systems today “students of color, particularly in urban settings, represent the majority student populations” while “the educators-- teachers and administrators-- that compromise these settings are predominantly white”( Magan 1) The lack of ethnically diverse teachers is directly linked to the shortage in the teacher supply pipeline. There is a deficiency in the teacher supply pipeline due to the fact that not many ethnically diverse students are entering and completing college. Research shows that “While the total number of students receiving education bachelor’s degrees fell by 9 percent, the number of those degrees awarded to minority students dropped 33 percent” (Magan 2). Many college students aspiring to be teachers often “face insufficient professional support, unwieldy accountability systems and unnecessary hurdles to licensure’”(Magan 3) resulting in the individual not completing college. College Students need that support at home but most importantly at school from a teacher who they can relate to. If schools had more ethnically diverse teachers studies show those teachers of the same ethnicity as the student hold high expectations for those students and they would challenge them. Student feel more comfortable with teachers they can relate too and look up to as role models but if there is a shortage in the teacher supply pipeline students won't have these role models to guide them in the right direction.
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Some individuals also believe a problem diverse teachers face when in the educational field is that “the current test has a cultural bias and keeps some people of color who are interested in teaching and otherwise qualified from entering the classroom.” (Magan 3) This leads to the failure of diversifying classrooms if there is not even a chance of admitting ethnically diverse teachers into the academic field.
There is also a lack of high school students striving to study in the educational field. “Everyone is coming from different environments and cultures..What matters is the teacher you have in front of you” said Ana Gil-Garcia “When students see teachers in training who are “doing exciting work”, they are more likely to become interested in the profession” (Magan 2) Bringing more ethnically diverse teachers in the educational field will inspire students or at least make students consider going into a teaching career. As Malcolm Cherry said “You have to see someone in your environment completing four year college for you to have the mindset that you can do it.” |
Works Cited:
Boser, Ulrich. "Teacher Diversity Matters." Name. Center for American Progress, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2011/11/09/10657/teacher-diversity-matters/>.
Douglas, Bruce, Lewis, Chance W., Douglas, Adrian, Scott, Malcolm Earl, Garrison Wade, and Dorothy. "ERIC - The Impact of White Teachers on the Academic Achievement of Black Students: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Educational Foundations, 2008." ERIC - The Impact of White Teachers on the Academic Achievement of Black Students: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Educational Foundations, 2008. N.p., 2008. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ839497>.
Ingersoll, Richard M., and Henry May. "The Minority Teacher Shortage: Fact or Fable? "edweek.org. Education Week, 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/09/01/kappan_ingersoll.html>.
Magan, Christopher. "Can Minnesota's Achievement Gap Be Closed by Diversifying Teachers?" Local News. Twincities.com, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_24808352/can-minnesotas-achievement-gap-be-closed-by-diversifying>.
Boser, Ulrich. "Teacher Diversity Matters." Name. Center for American Progress, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2011/11/09/10657/teacher-diversity-matters/>.
Douglas, Bruce, Lewis, Chance W., Douglas, Adrian, Scott, Malcolm Earl, Garrison Wade, and Dorothy. "ERIC - The Impact of White Teachers on the Academic Achievement of Black Students: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Educational Foundations, 2008." ERIC - The Impact of White Teachers on the Academic Achievement of Black Students: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Educational Foundations, 2008. N.p., 2008. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ839497>.
Ingersoll, Richard M., and Henry May. "The Minority Teacher Shortage: Fact or Fable? "edweek.org. Education Week, 1 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/09/01/kappan_ingersoll.html>.
Magan, Christopher. "Can Minnesota's Achievement Gap Be Closed by Diversifying Teachers?" Local News. Twincities.com, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_24808352/can-minnesotas-achievement-gap-be-closed-by-diversifying>.