by eila in Civil and Human Rights, Schools and Youth, Somerville By The Numbers
Posted on February 14, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Last Modified on February 26, 2011 at 6:10 pm
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Do students do better if their teachers look and sound like them?
A profile of Somerville’s enrollment data is found at the MA Department of Education District website.
Although data on students with disabilities is not yet collected, other underrepresented minority characteristics are counted, such as race, gender, low-income, special education, and limited English proficiency. Somerville’s 4-year graduation rates in 2010 show highest graduation rates for Asian students- over 95%; and, White students track at 75%, Hispanics at 69% and Black/African American students at 54%. (An interactive chart is found on Google docs here. )
Staffing data of teachers by race, ethnicity and gender is also found (teachers are counted as full-time equivalent, or FTE). A chart of the ratio of Somerville’s students to teachers, by race and ethnicity shows dramatic comparisons:
African American students- 13.5%; African American teachers- 3.6%. Asian students- 9.6%; Asian teachers- 1.3%. Hispanic students- 38%; Hispanic teachers- 6.2%. White students- 37.4%; White teachers- 88.3%.
(The Google doc link for chart, below, is found here.)
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Given Jeff Jacoby’s idiot race data is bad in today’s Globe (ok, I’m condensing), it’s easy to see why the right wing doesn’t want any of this to be recorded. This is a good look at the district, although I found the graphic in the text confusing, the google docs made it clear. Thanks for tackling this!
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Thanks for pointing us to JJacoby’s 2/16/11 editorial, Alex! The 127 comments generated by his editorial (as of 8:20 pm today) prove that just the act of naming racial/ethnic data stirs up deeply emotional and divisive responses!
Mere data (such as this post) isn’t enough information to help us understand causes of diversity achievement gaps, etc.. Somerville has a unique profile, compared to the overall State numbers- note the “special populations” categories. For example, “1st language not English” shakes out like this: Somerville District- 52%; State-16.4%. And, check out the comparison between our District’s, and the State’s, low-income percents.
(The google docs chart showing these District/State “Special Population” comparisons is found here )
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Part of this issue is cultural, I think. Asian cultures have a strong educational tradition. In Japanese, for instance, the word for “book”, “hon”, is the same as the word for “root”.
Would that we respected education as much!
Unfortunately, Americans tend to mock the educated as “pointy-headed intellectuals” — and not all of us have the spiritual wherewithal to prevail in the face of mockery.
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Hi, I’m a parent member on the SHS School Council. Here’s information copied from the SHS School Improvement Plan for 2011-2012, which shows that increasing the diversity of the faculty is a goal of the school. (I believe increasing the diversity of the faculty in all SPS schools is a long-range goal of the district, as well?)
Some of this got garbled, but you can find the chart at the Somerville Public Schools website under SHS and School Improvement Plans:
Goal 3: Maintain a highly effective workforce
District Action Strategy/School Goals
Person(s) with Primary Responsibility
All Departments
Completion Date
On-going
3.1 Increase diversity
among staff and
developing greater
multicultural
understanding
School Goals:
Continue efforts to attract and retain diverse staff; continue efforts to celebrate and enrich understanding of other cultures
Resources needed
(people, time, materials, etc.)
Work with local universities to bring in student teachers from diverse backgrounds
Take advantage of district partnership with Primary Source to develop teachers’ knowledge of and appreciation for different cultures
Offer PD to increase multicultural understanding in all art courses
Create a more diverse teaching staff
Increased appreciation for diversity in course material, especially Humanities and the Arts
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Hi Paula, Thanks so much! What about teachers with disAbilities? Is that category of diversity included in these efforts?
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I don’t know — from the language, you could argue that hiring teachers with disabilities would “create a more diverse teaching staff,” but the other descriptors suggest that diversity refers to “cultures.” I’ll bring it up and let you know what I learn.
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Thanks, Paula! Most folks aren’t aware that disAbility is very much a diversity culture- we have disability rights, history, talents and resources. Until teachers with disAbilities are granted equal access to affirmative employment opportunities (and training pathways), students with disAbilities simply won’t have access to adult models of success that look and sound- and experience reality- like them…
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From my personal experience, people with disabilities are gifted with some extra talents. Those talents could be harvested to teach the young ones.
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