By Mary Velan
Gov1
Across the country, statistics show progress toward greater teacher diversity is being made. However, the changes are not keeping pace with demand for minority teachers.
The Albert Shanker Institute recently completed a study on teacher diversity looking at nine major cities: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. According to the researchers, a racially and ethnically diverse teacher force offers benefits to students of all ages. When instructors better represent the demographic makeup of the country, students gain unique experiences that are useful later in life.
Why Diversity Matters
The researchers explained that while minority students may seem to benefit the most from a more diverse teacher force, evidence suggests all students would find the change helpful in the short and long term. The research finds:
- Minority teachers can be more motivated to work with disadvantaged minority students in at-risk schools, which would help reduce teacher turnover in struggling districts
- Minority teachers tend to place higher academic expectations on minority students, which can spur increased academic and social growth in students
- Minority students can view teachers from their own racial and ethnic group as academically successful role models, encouraging better academic performance
- Positive exposure to individuals from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds can reduce stereotypes, attenuate unconscious implicit biases and promote cross-cultural social bonding in students and adults
- All students benefit from being educated by teachers from various backgrounds as it prepares them for a diverse workforce and society
The researchers argue that societal and student demographics continue to grow more diverse nationwide. The teacher force, however, is increasing diversity at a much slower pace.
The researchers found from 1987 to 20212, the minority share of American teachers has grown from 12 percent to 17 percent. During this same time period, the minority share of student population increased more significantly. Now more than half of public school students are from minority backgrounds. Minority teachers remain greatly underrepresented relative to the students they serve.
The most significant impediment to increasing the diversity of the teacher force is not recruitment of minority teachers, as this demographic is being hired at a higher proportional rate than other teachers across the country. Rather, minority teachers are leaving the profession at a higher rate than other teachers.
Furthermore, minority teachers are not found across all communities, but rather found concentrated in urban schools serving high-poverty, minority communities. The poor working conditions found within these high-poverty school districts is the driving force behind many minority teachers leaving their jobs. These teachers cite a lack of collective voice in educational decisions and a lack of professional autonomy in the classroom as reasons to change professions.
What To Do?
The researchers outlined recommendations for federal, state and local governments to increase teacher workforce diversity and improve conditions in struggling schools. At the local level, the researchers suggest school districts develop strategic plans for diversification that should include specific actions and programs that will improve and support diversity of both teachers and students. One way to do so is through contract negotiations when districts and teacher unions can demand incorporating programs and features to increase diversity.
In addition, accountability systems for schools and administrators should include measures of how recruitment and hiring practices affect teacher diversity. These systems should monitor teacher retention and attrition in the districts, and how these trends related to diversity. Systems of accountability for school leadership and staff must include the effect of recruitment and hiring practices on teacher diversity.
Furthermore, urban schools should develop close partnerships with colleges of education to ensure increased supply of well-qualified minority teachers are prepared to instruct in high-poverty, inner city schools.