2008 Legislative Session

Enrollment of students of color in Minnesota continues to increase, while enrollment of White non-Hispanic continues to decline. According to the 2006 State of Students of Color, Minnesota had an enrollment of 20% students of color in Minnesota schools. It is important that these students and all students in Minnesota schools have an opportunity to learn with individuals from a variety of cultural backgrounds.  

Building a workforce of teachers of color   Teachers of color serve as mentors, role models, cultural translators, and advocates for students of color according to a 2004 report, Minority Teacher Recruitment, Development, and Retention from Brown University. The knowledge of community and the world that teachers of color possess affects their interaction with students as well as their effectiveness of instruction. Teachers who understand the reality of students of color and their families can help overcome the cultural barriers that can block communication between schools and families.  

It is critical that we think both about preparation and about retention of teachers of color.  The teacher preparation pipeline begins in elementary and middle school and continues into high school. Funding is needed for 1) pre-college support programs that include skill development as well as apprenticeships in schools so that students have an experience in a teaching role;  2) scholarships for potential teachers of color; 3) support structures for advising, test preparation; and 4) creation of a support network for preservice and inservice teachers of color that includes direct support for preservice teachers who need to focus on full-time student teaching.  

Schools, departments and colleges of education have been doing their part by recruiting students and  providing alternatives to full-time day programs.  But working in schools full-time with master teachers during the student teaching experience poses a particular set of issues for students of color and career changers.  The support of future teachers in their preparation programs both undergraduate and graduate will go a long way in achieving the goal of a more diverse teaching force.

Action Needed by Minnesota Legislature: ·         Funding for scholarships and incentives for new Teachers of Color ·         Funding for school and higher education partnerships to recruit, prepare and retain teachers of color.