The Boston Public School system is struggling to meet requirements for employing racially diverse teachers in its classrooms. According to a report published by several Massachusetts teacher support groups, Boston teachers are still majority white, comprising 80 percent of the BPS teaching staff.
Of course, this does not reflect the diversity of students found attending Boston schools, many of whom are black and Hispanic. In fact, 42 percent of students are classified as Latino, but this year, only 10 percent of teachers are Latino themselves. Statistics like this continue to add to Boston’s reputation as historically white city that is not inclusive of other peoples’ races and ethnicities.
It is crucial for students to see themselves represented when they go to school, not just in their fellow classmates, but in their teachers. Especially at a young age, teachers serve as their students’ mentors and caretakers. It’s important for students from minority communities to see people of color as people to look up to, and to see their teachers as people who have experiences similar to their own. If black students are only being taught by white teachers, that could vastly affect their perceptions and the way they learn. And if they don’t see themselves represented amongst those who earn college degrees and end up in the world of teaching, they may not feel motivated or included in this narrative.
Minority students would surely feel supported and encouraged by people who look like them, and perhaps will want to follow in their teachers’ footsteps one day and pursue a career in education. Moreover, if a student of color is failing to comprehend a racial subject or runs into a racist encounter, they would be better comforted and understood by a teacher who deals with oppression because of the color of their skin. Having diverse teachers is important in the same way as representation is in superhero films, such as the inclusion of a black superhero in Marvel’s “Black Panther.” Representation matters, and it affects what opportunities kids think they have available to them.
Lacking a diverse teaching faculty is relevant at even a college level. Boston University’s faculty is approximately 2 percent Hispanic and 3 percent African-American, according to a 2012 report. These are dismally low numbers in an institution that prides itself on having a diverse student body. Even though BU’s students are older, that doesn’t mean they don’t also need to see representation like young students do. Many professors have experience in the fields they’re currently teaching in, and that could be discouraging for students of color who have similar aspirations.
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that increasing diversity doesn’t always equate to diversity in experience. This could be particularly true in Boston, where several communities of color reside in predominantly white, affluent suburbs. The whole point of recruiting diverse teachers is so that there exists a variety of experiences and backgrounds, and this includes socioeconomic backgrounds as well. Having teachers from different places also makes an impact on kids who feel like only people who live in certain areas can lead successful lives.
But Boston has engaged in efforts to recruit a more diverse teaching staff. BPS officials have been actively working on fulfilling racial quotas set decades ago.
The City has multiple programs in place to recruit diverse teachers into its public schools — this year, BPS granted approximately 40 percent of its new teaching positions to them, though it still wasn’t enough to help meet the quotas. However, the fact remains that there aren’t enough interested teachers of color in the system and many of them don’t stay.
The profession of teaching needs to be made more attractive, and there needs to be more support for people of color to pursue this noble job. After all, teachers are the ones educating and inspiring the future leaders of this country every day. How many other jobs can say they’re doing the same? There is a sense that teachers are heavily underpaid and don’t get compensated enough for their work, with recent teacher strikes in several states making national news. This deters people who may be interested in teaching. Furthermore, there is a low retention for teachers to remain in their profession due to the demanding nature of the job. Teachers are responsible for the emotional wellbeing of their students, and after a few years, this can take a heavy toll on the teachers too.
In order to solve this problem going forward, there needs to be a stronger support system for teachers and better ways to compensate them. If we want to see any progress in hiring more diverse teachers, then we need to work on erasing the stigma and frustrations surrounding them.
