Monique Belin, a teacher at Martin Elementary School, penned an article for Digital Promise, examining the broad question: What is necessary to better support the recruitment and retention of teachers of color?
The article documents the discrepancy between the demographic makeup of the K-12 student population and that of teachers in the U.S., as well as the consequences of this discrepancy for students of color, individuals of color who want to become teachers, and the country’s education system overall.
The article goes on to explore the advantages of having teachers of color in schools, barriers to becoming and remaining a teacher, and programs and practices to support teachers of color.
The full article is available on the Digital Promise website.
Digital Promise is a nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to spur innovation in education in order to improve the opportunity to learn for all Americans. Through its work with educators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and leading thinkers, Digital Promise supports a comprehensive agenda to benefit lifelong learning and provide Americans with the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the global economy.
In cooperation with Digital Promise, in October Belin will host a Virtual Design Studio as part of the organization’s Teacher of Color Pipeline initiative. The program will bring together teachers of color throughout the country for discussion on solutions for the challenges of recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
