A new study shows that teachers of color are more likely to quit than their white counterparts, and racism might play a role (among other factors), according to the Inquisitr. Though students of color are filling classrooms with an estimated 40.7 percent presence in American schools, the numbers for teachers of color are low, making up only 14.6 percent.
Some speculate that the United State's long history of racism and discrimination could have attributed to the lack of diversity among teachers. Some experts have also linked poor budgeting and the lack of control teachers have when faced with overwhelming class sizes, as well as a "disparity in income."
Whatever the cause, the numbers simply do not create an equal representation of U.S. classrooms, especially among black males, among the lowest represented groups, according to the Albert Shanker Institute.
ASI is a research group and "think tank" funded by the American Federation of Teachers. It has taken data from at least nine major U.S. cities over the course of a decade and released their findings.
The group says that it is important for children to see teachers as role models, especially for people of color, according to the Washington Post.
"Where there's a diverse teaching workforce, all kids thrive. That's why we note with alarm the sharp decline in the population of black teachers in our cities," said AFT President Randi Weingarten.
