FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: December 6, 2023 CONTACT: Amy Dowell | Amy@edreformnow.org
Policy Brief: CT Students Need More Educators of Color
ERN CT Says That a World Class Education Should Include Learning from Diverse Teachers
December 6, 2023—Education Reform Now CT (ERN CT) released a new policy brief today, The Diversity Gap: 2023 Update, which reveals that Connecticut’s efforts to diversify the educator workforce are not keeping pace with student needs. The brief incorporates data for the 2022-23 school year to provide an update to last year’s analysis of Connecticut’s Diversity Gap—measuring the demographic mismatch between teachers and students of color. The key findings of this year’s brief are:
Widening Gaps: 11.2% of educators are teachers of color, as compared to a student population that is 52.5% of color—a gap that is widening over time, not improving.
85 to 1: There are 85 students in Connecticut to each teacher of color, a ratio that is improving over time.
“This is a justice issue. Connecticut is welcoming an increasingly diverse student population and has a responsibility to meet this moment. Research confirms that students of color are held to higher academic expectations and are less likely to be suspended from school when they are taught by a representative teaching workforce,” explained ERN CT Executive Director Amy Dowell. “But this is also a problem impacting all students across the state. To be effectively prepared for a global economy, each Connecticut student needs the opportunity to learn from teachers of varied racial backgrounds.”
According to ERN CT’s analysis, there were more than 85 students in Connecticut for each educator of color in the 2022-23 school year. In some districts, there were thousands of students enrolled for each teacher of color on staff, suggesting that many K-12 students in this state lack exposure to diverse role models.
The full report can be read here.
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About Education Reform Now CT:
The state chapter of a national organization, Education Reform Now CT is a 501(c)(3) that operates as a think tank and policy advocate, promoting great educational opportunities and achievement for all students by increasing equity, protecting civil rights, and strengthening the social safety net.
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