Why We Need A Teacher Workforce That’s Both Diverse And Knowledgeable
“Low-income minority students benefit from having teachers who look like them, studies show. But qualified minority teachers are in short supply, leading some to advocate relaxing the qualifications. The problem is, that risks putting disadvantaged kids even further behind. Only about 50% of American students in kindergarten through twelfth grade are white;16% are black and 25% Hispanic. For teachers, the proportions are different: 80% are white; only 7% are black and 9% Hispanic.”