Today, State Senator Dennis Bradley (D-Bridgeport) announced a bill that will increase minority teacher recruitment and hiring.
Senate Bill 462 calls for Title 10 of the general statutes to be amended to establish guidelines to be used by local and regional boards of education that will assist in increasing the number of minority teacher hires by at least two percent annually over the next five years and may include provisions relating to teaching assistant programs that encourage minority high school students to pursue a career in teaching.
“We need to ensure that minority students are represented in the staffing of the schools they attend,” said Sen. Bradley. “Having a positive role model in your classroom, which can motivate, challenge and identify with you, can have all the difference in a student excelling or disconnecting from their school experience. We must do all we can to close the achievement gap.”
According to state data, last year in Connecticut there were about three black teachers for every 100 students and about two Latino teachers for every 100 students. There were about 17 white teachers for every 100 students, according to state data. Twenty three school districts did not have any minority teachers last year, according to state data.