The impact of fixing large and growing Latinx teacher-student gap in eradicating Latinx education disparity

The impact of fixing large and growing Latinx teacher-student gap in eradicating Latinx education disparity

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. 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. 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 needs to fix the large and growing Latinx teacher-student gap.  No state has enough Latinx educators to adequately represent the diversity of its student body. To narrow the teacher-student divide among Latinx people, policymakers must modify their recruitment strategies to combat this issue. 

Being the largest ethnic minority in the country's schools, Latinx pupils make up 25% of all students in public elementary and secondary schools, according to the most recent data available. Latinx students make up approximately half or nearly half of the student body in various states, such as California, New Mexico, and Texas. Less than 8% of teachers in the country identify as Latinx, despite the fact that the percentage of Latinx students is large and rising. Due to the recent growth in the Latinx population, Latinx students have the highest teacher diversity gap, which is achieved by dividing the percentage of educators of a given race or ethnicity from the number of pupils of that same race or ethnicity. 

Despite the fact that Latinx students have the greatest teacher diversity deficit of any ethnic group, there is limited information on the unique advantages that Latinx teachers have on Latinx pupils. However, studies have shown that black students gain from having a black teacher in a number of ways, including that their academic potential and classroom behavior are seen more favorably by their teachers, that they are held to higher academic achievement standards and achieve them, and that they are less likely to drop out of school. Evidence also suggests that by lowering prejudices among students and fostering intercultural social connections, exposure to diverse teachers can help all students, not just those of race. Extrapolating from this study, it is likely that Latinx students, like all students, would gain from Latinx professors in a similar way. 

Additionally, even though Latinx students have specific needs, they may benefit from having a Latinx teacher in a similar way as black students benefit from having a black teacher. Although more than 90% of Latinx pupils were born in the country, the majority of them have at least one parent who was born abroad. First-generation Americans claim to be more likely to experience obstacles to their academic success, such as work and family obligations. Teachers who have gone through these challenges themselves may be better prepared to offer support. Similarly, 77 percent of the country's English language learners (ELLs) are Latinx children, and studies have shown that dual immersion or bilingual programs benefit these students the most. In addition, bilingual Latinx teachers, among them many former ELLs, would serve as a vital resource for Spanish-speaking ELLs as the number of dual-language programs grows. 

Moreover, an increase in the diversity of Latinx teachers is essential for enhancing Latinx kids' academic results. Although the percentage of Latinx students who graduate from high school and college is rising, they still lag behind their white and Asian peers in both categories by 10% and 12%, respectively, and by 26% and 48%, respectively. In addition, Latinxs are more likely to attend a two-year college than a four-year institution than high school graduates of other ethnicities. Latinx kids may be more likely to pursue teaching than Latinx students who have not had such a role model if they can see that instructors from their communities have completed high school, gone to college, and pursued it. 

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 largest percentage of Latinx students are also the states with a large Latinx teacher-student gap an example is California which is home to 27% of the entire Latinx student population in the United States, having the largest Latinx teacher-student gap of any state (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). The 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 teachers with (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival) DACA protections 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.  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 federal funding to attract more Latinx to pursue teaching will increase the number of Latinx teachers and thus enhance teacher diversity.  There is a low graduation rate among Latinx students in college which hinders increasing the number of Latinx teachers since they are less likely to graduate from a four-year college than any other racial group, according to research. Increased funding of the Hispanic-Servicing Institutions (HSIs) which comprises colleges and universities that serve a student body with at least 25% Hispanic students. This institution contributes significantly to enhancing the Latinx rate of graduation from college as well as the Latinx teacher workforce. An increase in funding for HSIs Institutions would also help greatly reduce the Latinx teacher gap since more than half of these institutions are located in the Five States with the largest Latinx teacher gaps.  The federal government should offer affordable financial aid and federal grants to encourage diversity at universities and colleges and reduce the rate at which Latinx students graduate from the institutions of higher learning with debt (Shapiro & Partelow, 2018). An increase in funding by the U.S Department of Education would greatly elevate Latinx enrollment in college and in teaching credential programs. 5% of funding for the expansion of the teacher’s preparation programs can be reserved by the State. There is the provision of funds to institutions of higher learning, schools for teacher preparation programs, and high-need education agencies in Title II of the Higher Educations Act under the Teachers Quality Partnership Grant Program. Allocations of funds that prioritize funding under the Higher Education Act and Every Student Succeeds Acts will greatly improve the number of Latinx teachers thereby reducing the Latinx teacher-student gap and facilitating the eradication of the Latinx education disparity. 

The states can also fund pathways for alternative certification programs which plays a major role in reducing the period and cost barriers for Latinx students. An example of such programs is the National Centre for Teacher Residencies which has several programs across the country providing classroom experience for prospective teachers after they complete their master’s degrees. 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 a period of 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 certifications programs are 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, he says that the educational crisis will continue even after the heath and economic crises shall have been sorted.  Only 60 to 70% of students in schools with predominant Latinx students logged in regularly during the remote study and even the students who have reliable internet access were missing high-quality instructions (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 the Latinx students to continue with education even from home. The schools were also urged to modify their curriculum in order to be accessible on mobile phones and other 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

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