The Diverse Teachers Recruitment Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

* Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the effort to bring more diversity to our national teaching force.

* Striking statistics compiled by the Department of Education show a lack of diversity among teachers. During the 2007-2008 school year, an estimated 7 percent of teachers were African-American, 7 percent Latino, and 1.2 percent were Asian. More than 83 percent of teachers were white. A total of 75.9 percent of teachers were female and only 24.1 percent male.

* Some educators believe this lack of diversity leaves some students without an inspiring role model to whom they can relate. The result may be lower test scores and higher dropout rates within some student demographics.

* I am introducing the Diverse Teachers Recruitment Act of 2010 to address this lack of diversity. The legislation provides grants to school districts to create and implement recruitment programs to bring teachers from underrepresented groups into the classroom.

* The grantee will track and compile data showing results of the program, including minority teacher recruitment rates. Data will also include the impact on student learning, growth, and attendance rates.

* The Department of Education will analyze the programs and disseminate which were effective in recruiting teachers from underrepresented groups. Successful results could be replicated in other school districts.

* It is a worthwhile effort to bring teachers from underrepresented groups into our classrooms. This legislation begins a national effort to build a teaching force that reflects the diverse population of the United States to enhance the learning experience of our students.

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