Author: Phyllis Moore

Why Diversity In Teachers Matters

Diversity is an often overlooked aspect of education.  Studies show that children with educators of their same race and gender perform better with regards to math and reading skills as measured in standardized test scores.  In addition to increased test scores, this pairing of minority students with their minority teacher counterparts will have the added benefits of increased expectations and a positive role model for our young people.  By ignoring the large gap in minority teachers we are depriving minority students of these positive influences.

Current Teaching Demographics

Teacher in classroom

The current demographics of the teachers in the United States massively under represents both male teacher and black teachers.  Despite 2010 census demographic information showing that men comprise 49.2% of the population in the United States, the percentage of male teachers in the US is only 25.2%.  Men are vastly under represented in the classroom.  The race demographics are even more staggering.  Educators are overwhelmingly White at 80.1% with Black teachers at only 6.7% we can see that the demographics of the population do not match educator demographics with the US population being over 16% Black.  With all that said, it is obvious to see that one of the most under represented demographics in teaching is Black men.

Minority students are being deprived of the role models we can provide.  With things like funding being tied to standardized test scores, the fact that minority students are deprived minority teachers affects their ability for the schools of primarily minority students to gain additional funding.  This creates a negative spiral effect which black students receive lower scores and are pushed away from higher education and thus pushed away from becoming teachers.


The goal of 1000X2025 is to get 1000 Black male educators in the Philadelphia metropolitan area by the year 2025.  The staggering numbers shown above are a calling for all those who can to try and impart an importance of education to all.  Over the years, progress has been lost for this cause but the effort is far from over.  The numbers of diversity from 1988 have been slowly decreasing.  The fight isn’t over but men are becoming less and less represented which we should actively work to more accurately represent the populace.