Diversity MIA

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Sitting here I can't help but think about the lack of diversity in my school system i.e. teachers of color (Latino, African-American, Asian, etc.) and male teachers in the classroom as well as in administration.  I can't help but wonder why the disparities.  Is this population not wanting to teach or become an administrator?  Is this population not qualified to teach or lead?  The questions can go on and on.  The question is....how can effective quality teaching and leadership be maintained without diversity?  I really don't understand why we don't see the importance of staff matching student demographics.

Is diversity MIA in your schools?  Please share any and all recruitment strategies or suggestions. 

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 29, 2016 at 6:53 PM

    Those are great questions. I would think it would require an intentional and concerted effort on the part of administrators and human resources...but then comes the debate over affirmative action. I would be interested to know the demographic break-down of qualified candidates vs. new hires. Also, I'm sure a process of change like that would take many years, so the effort would have to be consistent and long-term. What do you think?

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    Replies
    1. UnknownFebruary 1, 2016 at 7:17 PM

      Charlie I honestly don't know how address this or if this should be my battle. I do know that there has been a "culture" for soooooo long, if someone really wanted to make a change I don't think they would know how to do it OR they may have fear from going against the norm.

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    2. UnknownFebruary 24, 2016 at 6:58 AM

      After our recent class discussion and having gained an understanding of your context and circumstances, I can really appreciate this post. It makes real and positive change seem unattainable. It's tough to choose or go into a battle when you know the reality of what you're up against. I can truly empathize and sympathize with your situation.

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  2. UnknownJanuary 31, 2016 at 10:23 AM

    I am doing my practicum in a school that has quite a diverse student population, with about 30% of student body black, white, and Hispanic respectively, and the remaining 10% Asian or mixed race. The top administration of the school is 100% white with the teaching staff at about 80% white. A large percentage of the paras, however, are African American, but there are few Hispanic staff members at any level on campus. Recruitment strategies...that is something i really need to think about and reflect upon.

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  3. Joe GambleApril 4, 2016 at 6:43 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Joe GambleApril 4, 2016 at 6:46 AM

    I'm from Los Angeles where people drove for up to 1.5 hours to and from work. Since I've been in Atlanta, I've noticed people don't like to travel more than 20 minutes from their homes. Perhaps this is why the staff might not be diversified to match the demographics of the student population. On the other hand, maybe the staff matches the demographics of the student population. Again, to diversify, teachers might have to travel in order to experience promotion. Are they willing to travel more than 20 minutes from their homes?

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