Mommy, why don’t any of my teachers look like me?

As student of color populations continue to grow, there are simply not enough teachers of color available to accommodate these increasing numbers. In fact, the numbers of Black teachers have declined from the beginning of 2000 until 2012.  Travis Bristol, a former public school teacher who now conducts research at Stanford’s Center for Opportunity Policy in Education asked, “Why should we care that the demographic makeup of America’s teaching force does not mirror the racial/ethnic diversity of our students? Shouldn’t the quality of the teacher matter more than the teacher’s race in improving learning outcomes?”  Of course it matters for students to see brilliance reflected in teachers that look like them, because it will help to build their confidence in academic and emotional matters.  The bottom line is we need more teachers of color to guide our children to greatness.

To learn more, please visit:  ‘Added Value’ Why Increasing the Number of Latino and Black Public School Teachers Matters

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