Educator diversity in New York City schools is disturbingly low says The Educator Trust-New York.
According to the organization, Latino and Black students represent 43 percent of New York State’s K-12 enrollment, yet only 16 percent of the state’s teachers are Latino or Black.
The U.S. Department of Education points out that this is an issue throughout the country. A 2016 report showed that 82 percent of elementary and secondary educators were white, and 77 percent of new principals were white.
Findings reveal hopeful educators drop off the university-to-classroom-pipeline during attempts to successfully complete certification programs, and passing school district tests to be a teacher, along with teacher retention.
Programs seen with the most success for black and Latino students are Historically Black Colleges and Universities and non-traditional post-secondary programs that are more diverse in candidate population, as well as instructors.
