Introduction
There is a continued demand for better minority representation in various aspects of professional American life including the police force, local school boards, city governments, and teacher labor force among others. In schools particularly, racial representation is of interest to policymakers, education practitioners, and parents. Many people believe minority teachers play a vital role in countering the existing negative stereotypes. They serve as role models and people that can relate to the minority learners’ cultural backgrounds (Egalite & Kisida, 2015). It creates an environment in which the learners are less likely to have biased subjective views of their abilities in life. The value of minority teachers in K-12 schools forms the foundation for the analysis of the challenges facing the recruitment of minority teachers in such schools. Over the last decade, educational researchers have increased their focus on the lack of minority teachers in the teaching force. The rapid changes in the demography of USA’s population led to an increase in the number of minority learners in K-12 schools (Maxwell, 2014). The demographic trends at both national and state levels contribute towards the large-scale minority teachers’ shortage.
Statement of the problem
Despite the increase in the number of minority learners in schools, the teaching force’s composition has remained relatively stagnant. The recruitment of minority teachers in K-12 schools faces challenges. My interest in the issue emerged from my understanding of the need for role models learners can identify with in schools. A diverse teaching force allows learners to have teachers from their minority groups; this creates positive role models for the learners and contributes towards an improvement of student achievement.
There are some researchers that view the increase of minority teachers as a move that may affect the quality of education. According to Ingersoll and May (2011), data acquired over the last two decades shows that minority teachers are less stable that white teachers. Minority teachers are more likely to quit the teaching profession or move from one school to another. About one-third of the 600,000 minority teachers in USA moved between, into, and out of schools during the 2003-2004 school year. The moves affect learners as they have to adjust to new teachers, learning strategies, and environments every time a new teacher comes. The vital role minority teachers play in the lives of minority learners makes the rate of recruitment of minority teachers a major concern. The rate at which schools acquire minority teachers to cater for the rising population of minority learners is low. The situation limits the cultural benefits learners receive from being taught by teachers that can identify with them culturally and socially. The low recruitment rate affects learners’ achievement outcomes. The research focuses on an analysis of reasons why the recruitment process faces challenges. The information further helps in the formulation and implementation of strategies; this will increase minority teachers’ recruitment rates in the schools.
Literature Review
The recruitment of minority teachers is slow in K-12 schools across the nation; there is a significant diversity gap in almost every state. In California, only 29% of teachers are non-white, whereas, 73% of the students are non-white (Boser, 2014). In reference to the cumulative concern over the minority teacher deficit, various districts and states adopt a variety of policy measures. The measures aim at increasing the number of minority teachers in the teaching workforce. Despite two decades of efforts through state, federal, and district initiatives, there is still a significant imbalance between the proportion of minority students and teachers in K-12 schools (Hanover Research, 2014). The increase in minority teacher deficit can relate to the decline of white students and increase in minority students in the schools.
The minority teachers’ recruitment process faces challenges due to a variety of reasons according to various researchers. According to Bireda and Chait (2011), school districts face an uphill battle in efforts to recruit Latino and African-American teachers. The recruitment and retention of minority teachers experience challenges in reference to the provision of support and sufficient resources to teaching candidates. The problem emerges from the lack of effective programs to recruit and retain. According to Hanover Research (2014), there is an inadequate focus on financial incentives, mentorship programs, professional development, and other organizational conditions. Apart from the lack of adequate academic and professional preparation, there are societal, economic, and cultural factors that undermine the recruitment process. Bireda and Chait state that the high cost of college forces many graduates to pursue more lucrative careers they believe will help in the quicker repayment of student loans (2011). Teacher preparation programs require large student loans with the limited promise of financial reward. The situation facilitates the loss of the teaching career’s prestige as a profession. Students view it as a last option for low performers.
According to OEBI (2014), the challenge of increasing the number of minority teachers is because less than 10% of minority students choose education as their major in college. Most of the students prefer venturing into social sciences and business fields. They take advantage of the vast opportunities associated with the expanded chances for college graduates of minority origin. They avoid the field of education due to the rigorous testing standards in schools, low teacher salaries, the social perception of the teaching profession, and more demanding certification and licensing requirements. The situation resulted in efforts to attract more students to the teaching profession. It occurred through the adoption of faculty mentors, collaboration with communities, refinement of entrance requirements, academic reports, college and school collaboration, and collaboration with community colleges (OEBI, 2014).
According to Howe (2010), 44% of schools nationwide had no minority teachers by 2010. The diversity of teachers in K-12 schools is critically low despite the evident increase in USA’s demographic diversity. The National Education Association stated that the issue could hinder the quality of education by preventing quality learning of social, academic, and personal skills.
The programs used by districts in minority teacher selection require a lot of time and labor to recruit talented and interested candidates. It further faces competition from more prestigious career opportunities offering better pay and benefits. Highly effective teacher candidates tend to have several options; they view teaching as a career with little prestige and opt for other careers such as law and medicine. There is also a challenge in balancing the processes of finding teachers and ensuring they are effective. The recruitment programs lack ways of assessing a prospective teacher’s potential success in a classroom environment. Even after recruitment, there is a challenge of retention. There is a need for education systems that support the teachers financially and academically. Through financially sustainable programs, they can maintain the candidates’ interests in the career. Financial sustainability of the programs involved in minority teacher recruitment is also a challenge. Most of the existing programs receive funds from short-term grants. There is a need for permanent sources of funding.
Why is the diversity issue problematic?
There is also evidence that lack of adequate minority teachers affects the minority students’ performance in a variety of academic endeavors (Morrell, 2010). Challenges in the recruitment process result in few minority teachers in K-12 schools. It denies the learners an opportunity to have teachers they can identify with and view as role models. The problem denies learners a chance to learn from teachers that have similar cultural backgrounds and life experiences. According to Villegas, Stromi, and Lucas (2012), appropriate role models help in shaping the learners’ values in profound ways. The provision of appropriate role models recognizes the powerful socialization function of schools. According to research, when minority learners see few minority adults in professional positions and more in non-professional jobs, they develop a belief that white people are better suited to be in positions of authority. Minority teachers are uniquely positions to teach minority learners; this is because they enrich the learning experiences through a comprehensive understanding of the learners’ cultural experiences and backgrounds. Research in cognitive and learning sciences supports the teacher’s role in helping learners make a connection between their school and home experiences. Thus, the lack of teachers that are familiar with the lives of minority learners hinders their learning processes. It limits the teacher’s ability to explain new curriculum concepts through examples and illustrations from the learners’ lives. The presence of few minority teachers in K-12 schools also limits the selection of instructional materials in line with the learners’ interests (Dee, 2004). It denies learners from different cultural groups an opportunity to interact with people that act and look different. It prevents the learners from adequately building social trust and adopting a wider sense of community (Boser, 2014).
Resolving and remediating the problem
The problem can end through the adoption of successful programs that provide creative and innovative solutions (Bireda & Chait, 2011). There are various programs that can facilitate adequate recruitment and preparation of diverse teaching candidates. The school districts can adopt a three-level strategy in ensuring and maintaining a diverse teaching personnel. According to Hanover Research (2015), the use of research helps in the evaluation, identification, and implementation of initiatives focused on bridging the demographic gap between strategies involves early recruitment, building partnerships with higher education institutions, and a consideration of the district’s culture and climate.
In reference to early recruitment, many minority groups in USA lack access to quality K-12 education. It limits their chances of satisfying the high education requisite for joining the teaching force. Through an exploration of early prospective teacher identification programs, many school districts can remove the barriers to the acquisition of minority teachers (Hanover Research, 2015). The program helps by encouraging fostering and supporting students with an interest in teaching. The strategy’s effectiveness is evident in South Carolina through the application of the High School Teacher Cadet Program. It facilitates an effective early interaction of minority students to the teaching profession. It facilitates the direction of over 4000 students annually towards careers in the state’s public school system.
The second program involves the creation of partnerships with high education institutions. There is a need for an elevation of the presence of minority-serving institutions in the school districts. It will successfully increase the recruitment of minority teachers. Through partnerships with local institutions, the schools can develop early relationships with the teaching candidates. The occurrence of formal relationships between higher education institutions and the schools also facilitates a dynamic change of personnel, faculty and students; this creates a direct link between the district and recent minority graduates. A successful partnership occurred among Drake University, Des Moines Public Schools, and Des Moines Area Community College. It occurred through a program focused on identifying and guiding aspiring minority teachers through the post -secondary education required to teach in Des Moines.
The third program involves the consideration of a district’s culture and climate. The move helps in ensuring retention by preventing the loss of teachers to attrition and migration. Districts can reduce the high turnover rate by creating a welcoming teaching climate for education from diverse backgrounds; this develops and fosters successful teaching environments. The climate can be established by ensuring access to a cooperative principal, peer education mentoring, faculty leadership, and administrative structures. It ensures high job satisfaction and decreases attrition rates (Hanover Research, 2015). The approach’s success is evident in California’s Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program. It develops a strong district climate and culture through a focus on the candidates’ first two years in the teaching force. It raised the state’s teacher retention rate to 85%. The Paragon K12 is also a teacher selection tool that helps administrators in the assessment of the likelihood of retention and culture fit during the hiring process. It facilitates the identification of candidates are likely to thrive in the district’s educational climate. It is vital to note that the three strategies above are not enough to solve the diversity deficit in K-12 schools. They need to be combined with other strategies to enhance the recruitment and retention of teachers in the schools. It will contribute towards the fourth retention of the minority gap.
The recommendations also occur in reference to federal, program and state interventions. Federal policy can ensure the support of state reporting and accountability. It would ensure the evaluation of all preparation programs within a state according to similar high standards. It must also ensure the effective financial support of teaching candidates. Modification of the TEACH grant program will limit qualifying institutes and accommodate those with a record of producing effective teachers (Bireda & Chait, 2011). State and district policies should undergo modification to ensure a diversity of providers of teacher preparation. They can also provide low-cost options for teacher preparation and certifications. They must also ensure statewide support of programs to recruit and prepare minority teachers. Last but not least, the programs should ensure a balance of high standards and intensive support. It can occur through involvement in continuous evaluation, targeted recruitment, and the provision of intensive support to candidates.
Conclusion
The demographic changes in the American population are unavoidable; this facilitates an increase in minority learners. If appropriate interventions don’t occur, schools are likely to witness the continued failure of the proportion of minority teachers to cater adequately for the racial diversification of the student body. The adoption of effective strategies will not only benefit minority learners but also increase the academic outcomes for learners of all races. The strategies must be adopted by school districts nationwide. The schools must respond by increasing the number of minority teachers. The adoption of efficient strategies for eliminating the challenges hindering the recruitment of minority teachers will ensure progress; learners can learn in environments that are culturally diverse and accommodating.
References
Bireda, S., & Chait, R. (2011). Increasing Teacher Diversity: Strategies to improve the teacher workforce. Center for American Progress. Retrieved March 20, 2015 from https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2011/11/pdf/chait_diversity.pdf
Boser, U. (2014). Teacher Diversity Revisited: A new state-by-state analysis. Center for American Progress. Retrieved March 20, 2015 from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/report/2014/05/04/88962/teacher-diversity-revisited/
Dee, T. S. (2004). The Race Connection: Are teachers more effective with students who share their ethnicity? Education Next, 4(2). Retrieved April 21, 2015 from http://educationnext.org/the-race-connection/
Egalite, A., & Kisida, B. (2015). The Benefits of Minority Teachers in Classrooms. Real Clear Education. Retrieved April 21, 2015 from http://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2015/03/06/minority_teachers_in_the_classroom_1167.html
Hanover Research. (2015). 3 District-Level Strategies to Diversify Your Teaching Personnel. Hanover Research. Retrieved April 21, 2015 from http://www.hanoverresearch.com/insights/3-district-level-strategies-to-diversify- your-teaching-personnel/?i=k-12-education
Hanover Research. (2014). Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Personnel. Hanover Research Retrieved March 20, 2015 from http://scee.groupsite.com/uploads/files/x/000/0a8/843/Recruiting%20and%20Retaining%20Diverse%20Personnel.pdf?1402065555
Howe, K. R. (2010). Exploring the Minority Teacher Shortage in Southeast Georgia. Georgia Southern University. Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved April 21, 2015 from http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1346&context=etd
Ingersoll, R., & May, H. (2011). Recruitment, Retention, and the Minority Teacher Shortage. The University of Pennsylvania: The Consortium for Policy Research in Education. Retrieved March 20, 2015 from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED526355.pdf
Maxwell, L. A. (2014). U.S. School Enrolment hits Majority-Minority Milestone. Education Week. Retrieved March 20, 2015 from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/08/20/01demographics.h34.html
Morrell, J. (2010). Teacher Preparation and Diversity: Why American pre-service teachers aren’t white and middle class. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 12(1). Retrieved March 20, 2015 from http://www.academia.edu/257521/Teacher_Preparation_and_Diversity_When_American_Pre-service_Teachers_Aren_t_White_and_Middle_Class
Oregon Education Investment Board. (2014). The 2014 Oregon Minority Teacher Act Status Report in Accordance with Senate Bill 755. Retrieved April 21, 2015 from http://www.oregon.gov/tspc/documents/minority_teacher_report.pdf
Villegas, A. M., Strom, K., & Lucas, T. (2012). Closing the Racial/Ethnic Gap between Students of Color and Their Teachers: An elusive goal. Equity and Excellence in Education, 45(2), 283-301. Retrieved April 21, 2015 from http://www.montclair.edu/profilepages/media/439/user/Villegas-Strom-Lucas--2012-EEE.pdf
