Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata is making good on his word to recruit more minority teachers.
As noted in today's article, Wake has offered early contracts to 27 new minority teachers as part of a series of spring out-of-state recruitment trips ordered by Tata. But Tata and other school officials say it will take time before Wake's teaching force more closely matches the demographics of the student enrollment.
“This is the beginning of a long-time effort to turn an aircraft carrier of HR policy that has been pretty staid with about an 85 percent Caucasian teaching force,” Tata said. "I'm pretty satisfied with the initial efforts that we've made."
One of the first reports that Tata requested after starting as superintendent was the demographics of the teaching force. He found that 85 percent were white, 12 percent were black, 2 percent were Hispanic and 1 percent for other groups.
This isn't close to the 50.5 percent minority student enrollment.
“I’m not satisfied with the fact that we have a 85 percent Caucasian teaching force and 50.5 percent minority student population,” Tata said.
Wake had stopped doing out-of-state recruiting trips in recent years because of budget cuts. But at Tata's direction, money was found to visit several Southern states with historically black colleges and universities and/or large Hispanic populations.
Stephen Gainey, assistant superintendent for resources, stressed they weren't just just trying to hire minority teachers. He said they offered early contracts to the best prospective teachers, a number of whom are minorities.
Gainey said that principals when they do their hiring have been reminded about Tata's call for more minority teachers.
The reason that Wake went out of state is that there just aren't enough minority teaching candidates in the state.
“If it was so easy, don’t you think we would have more minority students in the education field?” said Vivian Covington, director of the Office for Teacher Education Licensure at East Carolina University. “It’s just not.”
Teaching used to be one of the few respected professions that African Americans could choose to enter, according to Diane Scott, associate director of the School of Education at N.C. Central University. But she said now young black students are increasingly choosing other professions.
Scott said that while you can send people on out-of-state recruiting trips, the best way to recruit more minority teachers is to groom students from within your school system.
As to why districts want to recruit more minority teachers, a number of studies have found that minority students do better academically and are less likely to drop out when they have teachers of their own race or ethnicity.
Corey Moore, principal of the new Walnut Creek Elementary School in Southeast Raleigh, said one of his goals is to have at least one male minority teacher in each grade level. Moore accompanied Wake recruiters on some of the trips.
“It’s very important that in a school like Walnut Creek, the students see for themselves teachers who are representative of them,” Moore said.
(I'm working Saturday so I've got today off. I'm going to try not to look at the blog much today.)
Comments
nuts
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 16:45 — red_balloonIf a minority teacher is hired, one could wonder what landed him/ her the job... race or skill. A sorry state of affairs that will tarnish good minority teachers.
Will WCPSS also recruit tall,
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 15:43 — woodstockWill WCPSS also recruit tall, short, fat,, skinny, red-headed, disabled etc. teachers so that every child can have a teacher that looks like them? I was taught mostly by nuns, so none of them ever looked any of us... and they dressed funny. Also, they didn't take no crap from nobody.
I thought the goal for hiring teachers was to find the best ones. But what do I know.
Questions:
1. Do qualified minority teachers exist in the same proportion as minority students? If not, it would seem that there is a potential for discrimination.
2. Since white folks will soon be in the minority -- and are in some places in the U.S. -- what happens then?
This is beginning to look like an effort to establish quotas. BAD idea!
So...
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 16:29 — Bob_SconceI think students (of all races) benefit when they see people of all races in positions of authority -- it helps to dispel the notion that white folks are superior and black folks are inferior. If the district is recruiting new teachers, then I don't have any problem with it trying to get more qualified minority teachers into the applicant pool.
The problem, of course, is that if the district is not successful at getting qualified minority teachers into the applicant pool, it will face an incentive to lower its standards for minority applicants. But, that would mean that the average minority teacher is less qualified than the average white teacher. If students become aware of that, then the end result would be to reinforce the notion that white folks are superior to black folks -- exactly the opposite effect of what it's going for.
Representation
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 01:27 — SDR256Why are you limiting it to black and white? There is so much more diversity in Wake County.
I agree...
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 06:37 — Bob_SconceI only limited it to race because that's what the district is going to do. It's a poor substitute for what I want, but it's a start.
Also, part of the benefit comes because students will use people who look like them as role models.
Oh for chrissakes. I
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 18:32 — woodstockOh for chrissakes. I disagree with and oppose any effort to use race as a factor in hiring or providing access to any opportunity. Race is as relevent as hair or eye color, whether one is right or left handed or salad dressing preference. Until we accept this, we will never get beyond all the silliness associated with race... including morons like Rev Barber spewing their nonsense. I don't give a damn what race a teacher is as long as they get the job done.
Damn, Bob, you seem like a rational individual, why the hell do you fall for this?
Thanks For Not Pretending
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 03:05 — MissVThere are rational reasons why you may not understand how a young person may choose role models that do and don't represent him or her visually. There are also reasons why children (especially teens) segregate themselves in cafeterias. There's a reason why the guy with the flashy car, money and diamonds attracts young people with low-no income.
Just had a flash-back to the parents (nationwide) who wanted to 'protect' their children from watching a video of the President of the United States in their classrooms. Are you 'sure' you really want to go there in this conversation?
I think you are missing my
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 09:52 — woodstockI think you are missing my point. I am saying that reducing the character and qualifications of a person to the color of their skin (or hair color, or size or salad dressing perference) is exactly what we DO NOT want to do. It is counter to the very principal of recognizing the true value of people as individuals and perpetuates the idea that the way we look makes us automatically different in some way. Again, I just don't buy that argument and never had. Even as a child that argument never resonated with me and I refuse to hoe that row as I live my life.
As for your reference to the President and playing his video in classrooms... that had to do with his leftist/socialist politics and nothing to do with race. See, there it is once again, the assumption that race was the factor and not who the person is -- or isn't -- and what her or she may stand for.
Everytime race is brought into a discussion, it devolves into another unproductive discussion having to do with one's race/ethnic characteristics that none of us can do a damn thing about.
Oh, I think you are just
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 13:10 — CaryCurmudgeonOh, I think you are just race-hustling again, woodpecker.
This is why I don't care
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 14:43 — woodstockThis is why I don't care much what you think. You've become nothing more than a troll with nothing interesting or insightful to say.
You can move along now.
MissV
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 06:34 — Voice_of_Reason_I greatly respect your opinion. I too understand the value of role models and I think that it is important to recruit qualified minority teachers. Even as a white southern male, I remember fondly a black male teacher I had teaching me Science in 7th grade (in the late 60's), He had a positive impact on me, both in my perception of race and in general. I can also say it is important for males to have more male teachers in the upper grades for the same reason. I don't know if this is common, but my daughter also has responded much better to male teachers since elementary school. These teachers have brought out the best in her. Should we also bias by sex?
So...
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 20:02 — Bob_SconceI completely disagree with using race as a factor in hiring. But, we're not even talking about using it as "access to" an opportunity -- it's just an effort to try to get more minority applicants. That doesn't take anything away from anybody else.
Race is as relevent as hair or eye color, whether one is right or left handed or salad dressing preference.
Unfortunately, in education, that's just not true -- there's legitimate benefit in having kids exposed to teachers from a variety of backgrounds.
I believe you have a point Bob...BUT
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 20:38 — Voice_of_Reason_The greatest benefit would by hiring good black male teachers. You would not only have to bias race, but sex also.
WEll...
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 06:41 — Bob_SconceNot talking about biasing hiring. In high school, I think it'd be good for female students to see female math and science teachers, for example. I don't know what high school looks like now, but all my M&S teachers were male.
M&S at HS level
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 08:00 — Dove314Be reassured Mr. Sconce -- there are many more female M&S teachers in high school these days. In our experience, much closer to 50/50. There are a lot more male teachers at the HS level compared to lower grades, possibly due to the ability to focus on a single subject. There are more at the MS level in comparison to ES as well but not as many as at the HS level.
I would like to see a study before I would agree
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 07:20 — Voice_of_Reason_I know my daughter (gifted in math) responds much better to male teachers than female ones. I also know my wife prefers a male boss over a female boss. I also saw the same in the military, with female leaders being more accepted by males than females. I am just not sure it works the same with women, they are "wired" different after all (not sexist, proven fact). I may be wrong since my views are from my own male experience, I may need a paradigm adjustment.
Interesting....
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 07:49 — Bob_SconceDid you get that military thing backward?
I haven't really thought through the male/female thing. I agree that they're wired differently. Surprisingly, after 15 years of marriage, that's about all I can say.
No I didn't Bob; but that is from an Air Force perspective
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 08:34 — Voice_of_Reason_Female bosses in the USAF (IMHO) were harder on other females and listened more to the men. My wife says the same happens in the civilian workplace. I do quantify the military thing though, that perception is only valid until you get to general officer level. I also must say that is Air Force and not generally true in fighter squadrons. The Army, Navy, and Marine Corp are probably different. The Air Force recruits smarter individuals than the other services and is run alot more corporate like.
Sorry, I don't buy it. In
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 20:26 — woodstockSorry, I don't buy it. In fact, your line of thinking is at the root at what is perpetuating the whole racial divide. People are people. Skin color, ethicity, nationality, etc. are just just details with no real bearing.
WCPSS should seek to hire the best teachers available. Period. No qualifiers needed.
I disagree....
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 21:15 — Bob_SconceEthnicity, nationality, religion, background and so on are major things that make life interesting.
When I was a kid, my parent volunteered with an organization that helped support international students. Many of them couldn't go home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Labor Day, etc..., so my parents would invite a few to our house. So, growing up, I got to meet people from South Korea, China, India, Pakistan (those two, not at the same time), Thailand, Uganda, France, etc..., and learn about their countries and ways of life. It was a tremendous learning experience. I benefit because people on my street have different nationalities, races and religions -- that mix adds color and flavor to my life.
I agree that WCPSS should seek to hire the best teachers available. But, won't some of those teachers be found at historically black colleges? If, for whatever reason, black teachers are not interested in WCPSS, doesn't that mean that the district is missing out on potential candidates?
I never said, or even
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 21:40 — woodstockI never said, or even suggested, that meeting people from different backgrounds was not interesting. I've met, worked with and live by folks from all over the world and am intriqued by their stories. What I found most interesting is that when you get down to it, we're not really all that different. But none of that has anyhting to do with the issue of hiring people and using their race or ethnicity as a factor.
Ok...
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 22:10 — Bob_SconceI don't want WCPSS to use race or ethnicity as a factor in hiring. It's nearly always illegal, and rightly so.
However, I do see a benefit to having a variety of ethnicities, nationalities and religions among those who deal with our children. If the district can identify execllent teachers with that variety by reaching beyond its standard recruiting tools without using race, national origin or the like in the hiring decision, then great.
How many
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 20:35 — danofncHow many colleges/universities are there in the country?
How many of those do WCPSS recruiters visit for Job Fair days?
The big solution to the minority hiring issue could be as simple as attending a few more Career Days at HBCU's
When you're choosing between two brand-new teachers, I would imagine it's difficult to determine which one will be the best teacher in 10 years.
In my opinion, it would be more important to look at the applicant pool than to look at who is hired. If WCPSS isn't hiring minority teachers because few apply, that's an indication that recruiting efforts should change focus. If WCPSS is getting minority applications but those teachers aren't being hired, then all you have to do is make sure that the teachers who are hired are the best teachers and that nothing nefarious is happening (I don't think there is, but it never hurts to double check).
This is very interesting...
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 13:30 — mtbgaitAs a male, Hispanic/white, elementary teacher in the county I represent the minority. I also hold a Principals License and actively seek out opportunites to lead our schools, but I am often adviced not to apply for jobs because of my gender and ethnicity. Apparently WCPSS has a unwritten policy to for male principals to only seek women applicants at the elementary level. This is a true story and have had principals in this county tell me this in the same breath as tell me I deserve to be an administrator. So, I wonder are we also recruiting minority administrators? I don't just mean African American, what about Hispanic and Asian? If you are going to recruit these minorities give us an opportunity to move up the ladder too. I don't blame minorities for leaving this district, they go out of there way to hold you back under current unwritten rules imposed by Area Supers! I would love to blow the whistle on this one!!
I am confused easily
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 12:02 — stevemichaelsForgive me folks I must confuse easily - Maybe because I was raised on a farm in rural NC - maybe because I only have a masters degree but here is my take:
I thought the overall concern was we were laying off teachers in NC - if so- why are we paying for recruiters to travel all over the US to recruit? Are we saying the laid off teachers in NC don't qualify for any open positions? Or are we being so racial to say that current laid off teachers in the state do not meet a certain race criteria? Or are we saying that in fact no teacher was actually laid off in NC?
Pardon my confusion, but i read the N&O everyday and often the facts are simply ommitted.
If you want to recruit more
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 12:12 — KeungHui (author)If you want to recruit more minority teachers then recruting from the mostly white teaching force in the state won't help much with that goal. But I'm thinking that some of the laid off teachers who apply for jobs in Wake will be interviewed by principals as they fill whatever vacancies they have over the summer.
Perhaps, but I think an
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 12:38 — shearertwPerhaps, but I think an interesting question has been raised.
Will minority teachers from out of state be given some sort of hiring preference over local white teachers?
Keep in mind that the
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 13:22 — KeungHui (author)Keep in mind that the out-of-state recruiting trips have and still are historically focused on teaching candidates who are about to graduate. Laid-off teachers are generally still working until the end of the school year. Wake had moved away from the spring trips because of the budget uncertainty in recent years.
Going forward, the hiring of teachers is now more in the hands of principals, some of whom may be more aggressive than others at recruiting minority teachers. While they've been told of Tata's call to increase minority hires there isn't a quota that says they must hire them over white teachers.
"....in the hands of principals..."
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 12:51 — froghollowThis phrase reflects more of our schools' problems than the average joe-public could ever imagine. Under the guise of "site-based management", principals have too many unquestioned decision powers. And most principals, like any other low management folk, are ever vigilant to protect their jobs and reputations.
There is the dangerous assumption by most parents and CO administrators that principals are skilled, well-trained, fair and intelligent. Yes, many are. Unfortunately, many are not. Too many public school administrators have created their own personal fiefdoms within their school buildings. Every day decisions are based on keeping parents and central office happy while teachers are kept under control. Some resort to withholding funding from certain staff, others resort to innuendoes, some simply are dictators and I swear, there are a few who would sell their own mothers for a good evaluation from Central Office.
The atmosphere, attitudes, discipline and openness in a school environment is largely determined by the management and people skills of the principal. There are those leaders who 1)know they are not as wise as the combined efforts of a school's faculty and wisely use the human resources at their disposal, 2) have no clue how to work with these resources and spend all their energy pitting folks against each other or 3) think they alone know all the answers and see faculty who are older, wiser, more experienced and often better educated as threats instead of resources.
These are the same assortment of administrators who will hire teachers based on whatever they feel like basing it on. If hiring minorities will bring them praise, then that's what will happen. If abusing teachers who challenge them will protect their positions, then that's what will happen. If evaluating teachers on their biases will give them control, then that's what will happen.
Ideally none of the above mentioned should ever happen.
So....
Tue, 06/28/2011 - 14:41 — Bob_SconceThe atmosphere, attitudes, discipline and openness in a school environment is largely determined by the management and people skills of the principal. There are those leaders who 1)know they are not as wise as the combined efforts of a school's faculty and wisely use the human resources at their disposal, 2) have no clue how to work with these resources and spend all their energy pitting folks against each other or 3) think they alone know all the answers and see faculty who are older, wiser, more experienced and often better educated as threats instead of resources.
This doesn't surprise me. But, what's the solution? You don't want to get in the way of those in (1) while you get rid of (2) and (3).
I think this would be
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 13:37 — shearertwI think this would be something worth keeping track of. I'm not saying what's right or what's wrong just that it would be very interesting to me to observe the hiring practices over the next year.
If it turns out that minority teachers from out of state effectively replaced laid off, local white teachers, that would be news worth sharing, I think. Don't you?
GREAT question, however I
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 12:48 — luv2teachGREAT question, however I doubt the county nor this paper will ask or address! This is a VERY "touchy" subject this day and time. It's alarming to me!!!!