Fixing the Large and Growing Latinx Teacher-student Gap to Improve Education Achievement Among Latinx Students (APA Paper)

Fixing the Large and Growing Latinx Teacher-student Gap to Improve Education Achievement Among Latinx Students

The educational experiences of African-American and other "minority" pupils in the US continue to be mostly segregated and unequal, notwithstanding rhetoric about equality in the country. Few people in the United States are aware that the educational system in their country is among the most uneven in the industrialized world and that social standing frequently determines the learning chances that pupils receive (Evans et al., 2001). The least well-funded schools, the majority of which are found in core cities or rural areas, are where poor and minority pupils are concentrated. These schools receive funding that is significantly less than that of nearby suburban districts. Many Latinx students begin their formal education without the financial and social support that many other students do, and schools are frequently ill-prepared to make up for these early inequalities. Initial difficulties for Latinx children frequently result from their parent’s immigration status, socioeconomic background, and ignorance of the American educational system. Inadequate school resources and Latinx pupils' poor relationships with their teachers continue to jeopardize their academic progress as they move through the educational system (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). Latinx have the lowest rates of high school and college degree achievement as a result of initial disadvantages, which reduces their prospects of finding steady employment. Consequently, Latinx students' educational attainment is a matter of national concern that has turned into a post-pandemic. However, to combat this issue, the United States government together with education stakeholders in Washington DC and other states need to find a solution to the large and growing Latinx teacher-student gap.  There is an inadequate number of Latinx educators in all the States to adequately represent the diversity of the student body. To narrow the teacher-student divide among Latinx people, policymakers must modify their recruitment strategies to combat this issue.

 Latinx children represent 25% of all public elementary and secondary school students (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018), making them the largest ethnic group in the nation's schools. In other states, such as California, New Mexico, and Texas, Latinx students make up more than half or nearly half of the student population. Less than 8% of teachers in the nation identify as Latinx, despite the fact that the number of Latinx students is substantial and rising (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). Latinx children experience the largest teacher diversity gap, which is determined by dividing the proportion of teachers who identify as members of a certain racial or ethnic group by the number of pupils who identify as members of that group. 

Despite the fact that of all the ethnic groups, Latinx students have the greatest teacher diversity deficit, there is limited information on the unique advantages that Latinx teachers present to Latinx students. In spite of this, research has shown that black students benefit from having black teachers in several ways, including being viewed more favorably by their teachers for their classroom behavior and academic abilities (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). Teachers expect students to meet higher academic standards with these teachers. In addition, they are less likely to quit school. Studies have also shown that exposure to varied teachers can benefit all students equally, regardless of race, by reducing prejudices among students and establishing intercultural social relationships (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). This study suggests that Latinx pupils would likely benefit from Latinx professors in a manner comparable to how all students would.

Moreover, even if Latinx students have special needs, they might gain from having a Latinx teacher in the same way that black children would from having a black teacher. The majority of these students have at least one parent who was born abroad even though more than 90% of them were born in the country (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). First-generation Americans claim to be more likely to experience obstacles to academic progress like work and family obligations. In some cases, teachers with similar experiences may be more qualified to offer assistance. In addition, 77 percent of ELLs in the United States are Latinx children, and studies have shown these students benefit most from bilingual or dual immersion programs (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). Also, bilingual Latinx educators many of whom were once English language learners (ELLs) will be an invaluable resource for Spanish-speaking ELLs as the number of dual-language programs rises. 

Additionally, boosting the diversity of Latinx educators is essential for enhancing the academic performance of Latinx children. When compared to graduates from other ethnic groups, Latinx high school graduates are more likely to enroll in a two-year college than a four-year institution (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). A Latinx student who sees a Latinx teacher in his or her community who is completing their education is more likely to decide to pursue a career in teaching than a Latinx student who never encountered a role model like that. 

Similarly, increasing the Latinx-student gap would reduce the issues of the language barrier. According to a report by Washington City Paper that investigated the existence of certification barriers for Latinx educators (Gomez, 2020). Anecdotally, many attendees at the town hall claimed that language obstacles related to testing are a significant issue. Because many educators are immigrants, there are many different and challenging barriers. Therefore, with the Latinx teacher-student gap declining, lots of Latinx students will have an opportunity to be attended by an educator who is aware of their specific needs. The language barrier will not hinder them from expressing their issues to the educator who will solve them or forward them to the administration. 

The rural areas in the American States have a fast-growing Latinx community and there is, therefore, a need to increase the teacher diversity in these regions to help in eradicating the Latinx education disparity. The rural areas with the fast-growing Latinx population include Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Dakota yet they have a low Latinx workforce of 2.5%,2.1%, and 1% respectively. The states with the highest proportion of Latinx students also have the highest Latinx teacher-student gap. California for instance, which has 27 percent of the total Latinx student population in the United States, bears the most Latinx teacher-student difference of all the states. (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). Regions with the highest number of Latinx education disparity have a more urgent need for increasing teacher diversity in those regions since they have a greater and fast-growing number of Latinx students. 

The passing of policies such as the American Dream act which was co-sponsored by congressman Pappas will be very critical in protecting the educators under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) cover from deportation. The teachers with DACA protection are essential in maintaining and motivating teacher diversity. These teachers are employed by the traditional public schools and organizations to offer their services to the high-need areas where there are a large number of vacant teacher positions as well as the areas with students from low-income households which includes the Latinx (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018).  The Dream Act will enable these teachers to fill in the gaps and teach freely without the fear of deportation by the Federal State as the act will provide permanent protection for DACA recipients thereby greatly increasing teacher diversity which is critical in eradicating the Latinx education disparity. 

Increasing government funds to encourage more Latinx people to pursue careers in education will increase the number of Latinx educators and hence improve teacher diversification. According to studies, Latinx students have a lower graduation rate in college, which makes growing the number of Latinx teachers more difficult because they stand a lower chance of graduating from college with a four-year program compared to other student races. Increased financing for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are institutions for higher learning with a student body in service of more than 24% Hispanic students (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). This institution makes a substantial contribution to increasing the rate of graduation of the Latinx colleges as well as the teaching personnel. Increased financing for HSI institutions would also assist in significantly lowering the Latinx educator difference since greater than twice the number of these institutions are situated in the States having the biggest Latinx teacher gaps which are five in number. To foster diversity at universities and colleges and to minimize the rate at which Latinx students graduate with debt, the federal government should provide affordable financial aid and federal grants (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). A boost in funding from the US Department of Education would significantly increase Latinx enrolment in college and teaching certification programs. A 5% of money meant for expanding the teacher’s preparation programs can be reserved by the State (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). There is the provision of funds to institutions of higher learning, schools for teacher preparation programs, and high-need education agencies of the Higher Educations Act under the Teachers Quality Partnership Grant Program. Allocations of funds that give priority to funding under the Higher Education Act and Every Student Succeeds Acts will greatly improve the number of Latinx educators thereby reducing the Latinx teacher-student gap and facilitating the eradication of Latinx education disparity. 

States can also sponsor avenues for programs of substitute certification, which can aid Latinx students to overcome time as well as financial constraints. The National Centre for Teacher Residencies, for example, operates many programs around the country that provide classroom experience for aspiring teachers after they obtain their master's degrees (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). The program has greatly aided in recruiting groups of candidates that have doubled the Latinx average number of teachers since the residents receive a subsidized degree as well as a stipend for living expenses. Another example is Teach for America which recruits college students after graduation so that they can teach for two years while receiving an alternative certification. In addition, these programs such as Dual Language Teachers Partnership Program equip the teachers with the necessary skills to earn their bilingual education. Implementation of these alternative certification programs is critical in diversifying the teacher workforce and in reducing the Latinx teacher-student gap. 

The situation of the Latinx teacher-student gap become worse during the pandemic as more Latinx students were not capable of receiving the quality remote education that was necessary during the pandemic. According to Tijerino, the educational challenge will persist even after the resolution of the economic and health calamity. During the remote studies, only 60 to 70 percent of pupils at schools with a substantial Latinx student population logged in on a regular basis, and even students with dependable internet connections were missing high-quality lessons. (Tijerino, 2021). The students are further faced with economic challenges since five in every six Latinx parents are not capable of working from home. This poses a challenge to the students since they are not able to have all the meals and they are left with figuring out how to get online on their own. There is therefore an urgent need to sort the disparity in Latinx education during and after the pandemic. The lack of access to remote education can be sorted by offering free laptops and free internet services for some periods to enable Latinx students to continue with education even from home. The schools were also urged to modify their curriculum such that they could be easily accessed through mobile phones as well as other internet devices. Missing out on education during the pandemic will directly impact their college enrollment and graduation rates which may limit the Latinx students from achieving their dreams.  Fixing this Latinx disparity would help improve the access of students to education through efficient communication from the Latinx teachers and greater access to online material and greatly enhance the eradication of the Latinx education disparity. 

In conclusion, most Latinx students continue to experience discrimination not only based on their education but in the government reforms and the educational institutions they attend. This was made worse during the pandemic as the students were forced to study from home and gain access to the online lining. Implementation of programs and laws which include the American Dreams acts, channeling of more federal revenue to the funding of programs to reduce the Latinx teacher-student gap, as well as alternative certification programs, which play a major role in reducing the period and cost barriers for Latinx students and lastly the provision of free internet and laptops to Latinx students, are creative mechanisms in solving the Latinx teacher-student gap in eradicating the Latinx education disparity. These mechanisms would positively impact Latinx education and help Latinx Students achieve their dreams.           

References

Evans, C. H., Colburn, L., Stith, A. Y., & Smedley, B. D. (2001). The Right Thing to Do, The Smart Thing to Do: Enhancing Diversity in the Health Professions--Summary of the Symposium on Diversity in Health Professions in Honor of Herbert W. Nickens, MD. National Academies Press. 

Gomez, A. M. (2020, August 28). The district has a large Latinx teacher-student gap. Washington City Paper. Retrieved July 4, 2022, from https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/176473/dc-has-a-large-latinx-teacherstudent-gap/ 

Shapiro, S., & Partelow, L. (2018, February 20). How to fix the large and growing Latinx teacher-student   gap. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/fix-large-            growing-latinx-teacher-student-gap/ 

Tijerino, J. A. (2021, February 22). Now is the time to close the 'TechEdquity gap' for Latinx students. Teach For America. https://www.teachforamerica.org/one-day/opinion/now-is-the-time-to- close-the-techedquity-gap-for-latinx-students