Recruitment of Teachers of Color (H 7292)

Studies have well-documented the connection between having teachers of color in the classroom and high levels of achievement for minority student populations. We supported this legislation which would have instructed the Commissioner of Education to develop strategies with the intent of bolstering the retention and recruitment of minority teachers and administrators in Rhode Island public schools. In our testimony, we specifically urged the consideration of policies which would bar teacher applicants from being disqualified from certification solely based on their performance on a standardized test, due to the noted gaps in passing rates between white test-takers and test-takers of color.