As Reckon's Vanessa Arredondo reports this week, even though California has a reputation as one of the most diverse states in the nation, the Golden State is struggling to diversify the workforce educating its youth population, according to findings in two new studies by the UCLA Civil Rights Project (CRP). Researchers detailed systemic barriers that impede diversity of the teacher workforce in California and how this lack of representation impacts outcomes for marginalized students. The data was collected over a seven-year period from schools, teachers and those in the process of obtaining certification. “Equity work in our schools requires that we actively interrogate and dismantle policies and practices that act as barriers for people of color entering and sustaining in the profession,” said Kai Mathews, the lead author of one of the studies, in a statement. “Essentially, our desire for equity must be driven by a greater — or at least equal — desire for justice. There is no uncoupling of the two.” Let's talk about it. |
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There are more than 300,000 public K-12 teachers across the state. About 58 percent identified as white, 24 percent were Latine and 8 percent were Asian American and Pacific Islander. Black educators comprised about 3 percent of the population, with Indigenous and multiracial teachers each representing about 1 percent. Students of color, meanwhile, comprise nearly 80 percent of California’s K-12 population, and white people make up about 35 percent of the overall state population. The findings collected from California schools and teacher experiences mirror the broader issues impacting educators nationwide, researchers found. Although people of color make up 40 percent of the U.S. population and about 55 percent of the country’s K-12 students, only about 20 percent of all teachers nationwide are Indigenous or of color. UCLA researchers found that schools with higher populations of students of color had higher concentrations of inexperienced teachers, according to a study published by CRP. Education that promotes social justice and equity is a must in a diverse society, the study noted, and teachers of color play a critical role in establishing ideals of inclusivity. Researchers said there’s much work to be done, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining teachers of color. “Teachers of color deserve better pay, more racially informed training, and an end to the policy of sending the least experienced to the schools that urgently need expert teachers,” CRP Co-Director Gary Orfield said in a statement. “The profound educational inequalities in the state, which is also one of the nation’s leaders in school segregation, adds urgency to addressing these teacher issues.” |
Here are some national statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics about educators —Number of teachers employed in the U.S.: 3.8 million; the number of elementary and secondary teachers is split evenly at 1.9 million each —42 is the average teacher age —74.3% is the percentage of teachers who are women; 25.7% are men —Racially, 68.8% of teachers are white. Hispanic or Latine people make up 12.9% of the teacher population, African Americans represent 10.1% of teachers and about 4% are of unknown racial heritage —Less than 3% of teachers are Black men —About 9% of all teachers are LGBTQ —The national average starting teacher salary is $44,530, according to the National Education Association —The national average teacher salary is $69,544 —The NEA, the largest labor union in the U.S., also reports that starting salaries of teachers in states with a bargaining law is $1,653 more than in states without them —California has the highest average teacher salary at $95,160 per year; the lowest is West Virginia, $52,870 —When adjusted for cost of living, New York pays the highest average adjusted teacher salary ($84K) and Florida (pays the lowest average salary ($50.5K) —Percentage of Americans who say improving education should be a top priority for the next president: 60%, according to the Pew Research Center |
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