ANOTHER GAP: Here's a big mismatch in education. Fewer than one in five U.S. public school teachers (18 percent) are individuals of color while approximately half (49 percent) of public school students are individuals of color, says a new report entitled “The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce." Released by the U.S. Department of Education on May 6, the report also highlights a potential reason for this gap in the fact that students of color are underrepresented in teacher prep programs; only 26% of enrollees in teacher prep program are students of color, as shown below.
“A diverse teacher workforce isn’t just a nicety—it’s a real contributor to better outcomes in our schools, workplaces, and communities,” said Secretary of Education John King. “It’s important for students of color to have role models who look like them and share common experiences."
