The percentage of black teachers in the teaching force has been declining since the 1970s. While academic performance of black college students has been steadily improving, there has been a steep decline in black college enrollment, and few of those limited numbers of black college students are interested in teaching as a career. Includes…

The challenge to teacher education created by today's changing demographics involves excellence and equity. The present hostile climate at colleges and universities for faculty of color requires a creative readjustment of the tenure and promotion process. A discussion for preparing, mentoring, and retraining future teacher educators of color using…

This article posits that increasing minority teachers in gifted and talented (GT) programs will lead to an increase of minority students in GT programs. Ways to recruit and prepare minority teachers are discussed, as are multicultural and bilingual options for GT programs. The need for evaluation data is stressed. (Contains references.) (CR)

Examines present and projected national trends to outline challenges in public education. Focuses on the growth of minority populations and likely consequences of poverty and inadequate education. Describes the crisis of the declining number of minority teachers. Identifies ways that universities can act as partners in confronting educational…

Racial and ethnic separation and isolation can be countered through significantly increasing the number of minority teachers. Students learn important societal lessons through the example of cooperative interracial and interethnic relationships among teachers. Discusses implications for teacher education, recruitment, assignment, and retention,…

Candidates for the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto gain classroom teaching experience under the supervision of mentor teachers and attend professional development workshops in a nonthreatening, nonevaluative program that guarantees their acceptance the following year. The program has been successful in recruiting minority…

The Pathways program at Armstrong Atlantic State University (Georgia) is taking non-certified school district employees who have exemplary work records, better than average grades, and a sincere commitment to teaching and offering them tuition and other support so that they can take college courses and earn degrees leading to teacher…

During the past decade, there has been a simultaneous decline in the number of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American teachers and an increase in the number of students among these same groups of minorities (referenced in this text as people of color). An array of topics relative to this decline were explored as the subject of a…

Examination of factors that contribute to a sustained commitment to the teaching profession suggests that motivation is influenced by nationality, socioeconomic background, gender, and point in time. In general, minority teachers come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and have greater access to teaching than to some other professions. Rewards…

In 1988, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) undertook an 18-month effort to discover strategies that would increase the number of minority teachers in the nation's classrooms. Representatives from 22 education policy and research organizations formed the Alliance of Leaders for Minority Teachers to share views and information. In…

This publication was developed to meet an apparent need for new and effective strategies to recruit greater numbers of racial and ethnic minorities to the field of education. It deals specifically with prospective candidates who are Black, Hispanic, and Asian. The guide is organized in three sections. Part I, "Getting to Know the Target Group", is…

Addressing the problem of the current and future shortage of teachers, this paper lists concrete suggestions on recruiting and retaining teachers. Fifteen suggestions are made which may serve as a foundation for a state-wide teacher recruitment plan. The recruitment plan at the state level should lead to plans at the university level to further…

There is a continuing demographic shift toward a multiethnic school population, but the teacher population includes few minorities. Teacher selection procedures should examine personal qualities such as adaptation, creativity, self-renewal, and moral orientation. Incentives for attracting minority populations to teaching are proposed. (BJV)

Prominent Americans were asked to reflect on the diversity challenge facing America's teacher workforce. The following leaders from several fields voiced their support of teachers and their beliefs America needs more diverse and culturally responsive teachers: (1) Mary Hatwood Futrell, President of Education International; (2) Carol Moseley-Braun,…

Articles in this theme issue explore pathways into teaching, focusing on programs that recruit future teachers, and specifically on programs that target minority future teachers. "Pathways to Teaching: Building Quality and Diversity in America's Schools" by Segun Eubanks introduces a number of programs that are drawing from populations…