Why Teacher Diversity Matters

It is important for a state like California, with a diverse student population, to have a teacher pool just as diverse. This is especially true for Black male students whose dropout rate decreases if they are taught by a Black teacher between third and fifth grade. However in California, 1 in 3 schools don’t have an Asian teacher; 1 in 6 don’t have a Latino teacher; and more than half don’t have a Black teacher.

It is unacceptable that Black and Latino teachers often leave education because of “antagonistic school cultures, and the feeling of being undervalued.” If we value our students, especially their ability to learn, we need to value our teachers of color. In a state as diverse and “progressive” as we claim to be, we definitely need to do a better job of not only retaining our teachers, but empowering them.

Yolanda M. James for SF Chronicle

California’s lack of teacher diversity is more than an access issue

By Justin Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle | 10/31/2021