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The teacher diversity gap
The teacher diversity gap
The Teacher Diversity Gap in Ontario and Toronto is larger than the gap in the United States.
In Ontario, racial minorities represent 26% of the population, yet make up only 10% of high-school school teachers and 9% of elementary school teachers.
In the Toronto CMA, racial minorities represent 47% of the population, yet make up 20% of high-school teachers and 18% of elementary school teachers.
Statistics Canada projects that by 2031 racial minorities could make up 63% of the Toronto CMA population. The proportion of visible minority teachers in the teacher workforce has been declining relative to the overall visible minority student population. Without any change, we can expect the teacher diversity gap to only increase each year.
Teacher turnover rates are high for Black men.
“For the foreseeable future, black kids are going to go to school and face white teachers—that's the reality, so the question is what are we going to do about that?” – Nicholas Papageorge, Associate Professor of Economics, John Hopkins University
Having a black teacher makes a black student more likely to graduate
Black students who had just one black teacher by third grade were 13 percent more likely to graduate high-school and enroll in post-secondary—and those who had two black teachers were 32 percent more likely. The likelihood is more pronounced for very low-income black boys.
– John Hopkins University, 2018
White teachers have lower expectations of black students
When a black teacher and a white teacher evaluate the same black student, the white teacher is almost 40 percent less likely to expect their black students will graduate high school.
– John Hopkins University, 2016
Black teachers encourage black students more than white teachers do
A teachers' beliefs about a student's post-secondary potential can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Every 20 percent increase in a teacher's expectations raised the actual chance of finishing college for white students by about 6 percent and 10 percent for black students. However, because black students had the strongest endorsements from black teachers, and black teachers are scarce, they have less chance to reap the benefit of high expectations than their white peers.
– National Bureau of Economic Research, 2018
x% of students experience race-based bullying; Black students are more likely to
Unlikely to report it.....
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Having a black teacher reduces the likelihood of black students dropping out
In Toronto, the dropout rate for Black students is 23%, compared to 12% for White students. Black students having a Black teacher can result in a decreased probability of dropping out by 29%.
Black teachers are better equipped to talk to Black students about race
Non-Black teachers may not be prepared, or have the ability, to examine subjects on race that might be triggering or difficult for Black students to navigate. Given the psychological toll that teaching race and anti-racism content takes on students, it's crucial for Black students to feel represented in the classroom.
– “The Teacher Said Nothing” Black Girls on the Anti-Black Racism in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Schools, 2022
Black students who score well still receive lower grades and advancement
Only 3% of those labeled “gifted” in Toronto schools are Black, despite Black students making up 12% of the population. White students are also twice more likely to be rated as “excellent” than a Black student on their report card – even when those students had the same standardized provincial testing scores.
BEAP is a program of Youth Empowering Parents
BEAP is a program of Youth Empowering Parents
Youth Empowering Parents is a charity that specializes in turning young people into educators.
Learn more by clicking here.
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