Doug McCrory

McCrory Votes to Support More Minority Teacher Recruitment

State Senator Doug McCrory (D-Hartford) this week voted in favor of a bill that will help diversify classroom staff across Connecticut by enhancing minority teacher recruitment and retention.

“Our public school student population in Connecticut is a little more than half white, about a quarter Hispanic, and about 15 percent Black,” Sen. McCrory said. “But as of about five years ago, our public school teaching staff was more than 90 percent white, about 3 percent Hispanic, and less than 3 percent Black.”

“All the research shows that students learn better with a diverse teaching population. Our teachers should reflect the diversity of our state. This isn’t just important for minority students; it’s important for all of us,” Sen. McCrory continued. “Teachers help shape the minds of our young people, and they have a lasting impact on every person they touch. When students of all races see teachers of color in front of the classroom it helps to challenge implicit biases and improve their educational experience.”

Senate Bill 455 requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to identify and use a number of programs to boost minority teacher recruitment, and it requires the State Board of Education to declare that Connecticut’s teacher workforce should reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of our state, which is approximately 68 percent white, 16 percent Hispanic, 12 percent Black and 5 percent Asian.

The bill requires the SDE to identify relevant research and successful practices to enhance minority teacher recruitment throughout Connecticut, to identify and establish public, private, and philanthropic partnerships to increase minority teacher recruitment, and to use new methods to attract minority candidates to the teaching profession, particularly in certain subject areas.

The bill also requires the SDE to amend its regulations relating to teacher certification, issue a provisional educator certificate to certain holders of charter school educator permits, issue an initial educator certificate to applicants who have passed a relevant examination or completed advanced coursework, and revise the membership of the minority teacher recruitment and retention task force.

The bill passed the House and Senate and now heads to the governor for his signature.