Committee Democrats Urge National Attention to Increase Teacher Diversity
WASHINGTON – Today, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Representative Susan Davis (CA-53), Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, and Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, Representative Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Representative Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training and Mark Takano (CA-41), Member of Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, sent a letter urging President Obama and Acting Secretary King to convene a White House summit on teacher diversity. The letter is signed by over 70 House Democrats.
“The alarming lack of diversity in the teacher workforce and its impact on student achievement is an issue that demands nation attention and real solutions,” stated the Members of Congress. “We believe that a White House summit is an important first step to legitimize this important civil rights issue and elevate a much-needed national dialogue.”
According to recent data from the Center for American Progress, less than 20 percent of public school teachers identify as people of color, contrasted with nearly half of public school students. The research is clear— students who have teachers with racially, linguistically, and ethnically similar backgrounds have significantly higher graduation rates, lower suspension rates, and increased test scores.
Full text of letter can be found here.
Supporting Organizations: The American Federation of Teachers, Teach For America, the National Council of English of Teachers, Grow Your Own Illinois, Public Advocacy for Kids, the National Council on Educating Black Children, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Indian Education Association, Howard University School of Education, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, the National Alliance of Black School Educators, the United Negro College Fund, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the National Women’s Law Center, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Migrant Legal Action Program, the National Association for Bilingual Education, the National Council of La Raza, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, the National Education Association, the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, the National Association for Elementary School Principals, Casa de Esperanza, Alliance for an Excellent Education, SER Jobs for Progress National, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the NAACP, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the Labor Council For Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the National Association for Multicultural Education, Pasco-Hernando State College, the National Indian Education Association, the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education, the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc., and the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS).
Current Co-Signers: Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Susan A. Davis, Raul Grijalva, Mark Takano, Gregory Meeks, Elizabeth H. Esty, Ruben Gallego, Tony Cárdenas, Katherine Clark, Keith Ellison, Juan Vargas, Corrine Brown, Hank Johnson, Mike Honda, Charles Rangel, Denny Heck, Grace Meng, John Yarmuth, Ron Kind, Terri Sewell, Gwen Moore, G.K. Butterfield, Marcia Fudge, Frederica Wilson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Suzanne Bonamici, Linda T. Sánchez, Loretta Sanchez, Joaquin Castro, Dina Titus, Barbara Lee, Betty McCollum, Doris Matsui, Alcee L. Hastings, Donna F. Edwards, Mark DeSaulnier, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Luis V. Gutiérrez, André Carson, Patrick Murphy, Suzan DelBene, Judy Chu, John Delaney, Chris Van Hollen, Marcy Kaptur, José E. Serrano, Derek Kilmer, Tammy Duckworth, Karen Bass, Mark Pocan, Jared Polis, Rosa L. DeLauro, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Kathleen Rice, Nydia M. Velázquez, Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Courtney, Ben Ray Luján, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Xavier Becerra, Alma S. Adams, Seth Moulton, Al Green, Ann McLane Kuster, Zoe Lofgren, Rubén Hinojosa, Joyce Beatty, Ben Ray Luján, Alan Grayson, and Jerry McNerney.
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