By Valerie Strauss and Travis J. Bristol, The Washington Post
While the Latino and Black student populations continue to increase in United States schools, the number of teachers of color falls short. In fact, Black teachers are on the decline. Travis Bristol, a former New York City English Teacher, discusses why a shortage of teachers of color in relation to the student body is detrimental for students’ education, and what he recommends to fix it.
“Researchers should explore how teacher preparation programs are organized to support the unique needs of preservice teachers of color. If the demographics of teacher candidates shift, should the course of study in traditional certification programs also shift to meet the needs of these new recruits? There is a growing body of research on the experiences of Black teachers, but much less on Native American, Asian, and Latino teachers. Researchers may want to understand how teachers’ school-based experiences are similar and different across each racial/ethnic subgroup.”
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