It is not a secret that the majority of teachers are white and come from the middle of our country’s socioeconomic strata. According to the American Association of Teacher Education (2010) 80 percent of bachelor’s degrees in education are granted to white women. I applaud these women for assisting in educating America’s children. Becoming a teacher/educator takes lots of determination, commitment and hard work. So hats off to them!
However, I have one concern; that is, as the students in America’s public schools are becoming more and more diverse, our teaching faculty and even staff are not changing! To the credit of lots of teacher education programs across the country and specifically IUPUI locally, there has been a conscious effort to prepare pre-service teachers (those who have not yet earned their bachelor’s or certification in education) for the diverse classrooms they will be facing. In spite of our efforts to recruit people of color to our programs, we must continue to do more. Thus, this is a short appeal to people of color who have not heard us knocking at your professional door. Come and join us in educating all America’s children.
Current research (Ingersoll & May, 2011) states students of color benefit in a number of ways from teachers of color. For instance, students of color score better on standardized tests, have the opportunity to interact with positive role models and receive enhanced support (Egalitea, Kisidab, & Winters, 2015). A review of literature by Villegas and Irvine (2010) shared that teachers of color have high expectations for students of color, provide students with culturally relevant teaching, foster meaningful relationships with students and serve as educational and social advocates for them.
On the flip side, white students can benefit from having teachers of color. In a recent post in Education Week, Gloria Ladson-Billings (2015) shares a very important point: “I want to suggest that there is something that may be even more important than black students having black teachers and that is white students having black teachers!” Yes, white students can learn from black teachers. They can learn subject area content as well as encounter, as Billings puts it, “Black people who are knowledgeable and hold some level of authority over them.”
People of color, consider teacher education as a profession. You can make a difference in the lives of all children, but particularly those who are being educated in urban school settings. I challenge you to heed the call.
If you are not a person of color but you believe in providing all God’s children with a true, pure and meaningful education, “stand up” and speak out. Encourage your relatives and friends of color to join the rewarding, inspiring and dynamic field of education. Your influence is important.
