Educators of Color: Informing Programs and Policies

• In Event: Does Color Know Color? A Historical and Contemporary Examination of Teachers of Color

Abstract

For several decades there has been an unrealized imperative for a well educated and globally competitive workforce. To this end there has been a great demand for quality educators who are equipped and inclined to effectively close the academic achievement gap between and among PK-12 students of various racial/ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. (Dilworth and Aguerrebere 2007) There have been scores of public and privately supported initiatives designed to attract and employ African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American teachers that presume their efficacy in advancing achievement for students of color. (Villegas and Clewell 1998) This paper offers a review and analysis of a number of these initiatives to discern the extent to which they are sufficient, useful and aligned with current and emerging policies and practices.
The number and type of PK-12 students in the U.S. from diverse backgrounds has increased significantly over time with a greater presence and acknowledgement of youngsters from mixed backgrounds and their performance. (U.S.Census2009) While the academic performance of all PK-12 students has improved the performance of student from certain racial/ethnic and linguistic groups falls behind those of their white counterparts. (NCES 2011)
For the past three decades, the PK-12 teaching force has been white women and will remain so for the foreseeable future. At the same time, the racial/ethnic and linguistic diversity of the nation’s PK-12 student body has increased to the extent that in 10 states and scores of large metropolitan areas non-white children are the majority. (Census 2011). The proportion of African-American and Hispanic students is nearly three times the percentage of African-American and Hispanic teachers. Further, we understand from the research that poor, black and brown students are often in the most challenged schools with the limited number of teachers from these groups situated in these districts. (NCES 2011)
The need for majority teachers to be more culturally responsive is now universally accepted and efforts to recruit and employ teachers of color continue. At the same time, there is an assumption that those educators from racially/ethnically and linguistically diverse backgrounds – regardless on their preparation- are culturally responsive and can engage PK-12 students of color in learning in a greater way than their majority peers. While there is some empirical evidence that supports this notion for some groups, subjects and grade levels (Clewell and Puma 2005, Dee 2007, Goldhaber 2009) we also recognize that there is not homogeneity of thinking – attitudes and preferences that polarize White and “others” and that “others” reside in a comfort zone between and among themselves. (Dilworth and Brown 2001) More research is necessary in order to better understand the nature of this relationship and to advantage policies and programs designed to recruit and employ teachers of color.

Author

• Mary E. Dilworth, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards