A new study released by the Center for American Progress finds that despite an increase in diversity in the student population, there is a lack of positive shift in teacher diversity within the classroom.
According to the study, the gap in teacher and student diversity has increased by 3% over the last three years, with students of color making up almost half of the public school population and teachers of color making up only 18% of the teaching population. According to the chart provided by CAP, California is the state with the highest diversity gap at 44%, with Nevada and Maryland not falling too far behind at 42% and 40%, respectively.
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While several factors affect these numbers, CAP outlines a few possible solutions to the problem, including establishing incentives for academically strong students of color to enter a career in teaching, establishing programs that provide paid opportunities for college graduates to receive teacher training, and offering more generous teaching scholarships for students entering college.