Teachers
Represent
The importance of diverse role models
in a school community BY MISSY CORR
ILLUSTRATION BY ALICE FEAGAN | ALICEFEAGAN.COM
B
ack when George Russell served as
superintendent of 4J, he had to deal with
racism on a regular basis. During a 4J
Board of Education meeting about school
closures, he says, a man who he assumes
was a student’s dad “came up to the podium and said,
‘That’s what happens when you hire the n-word for
affirmative action reasons.’”
Teacher demographics in Eugene-area schools are
far less diverse than student populations. Educators of
color face unique challenges, and when they can effec-
tively handle those challenges some say student success
is more likely.
Russell says educators of color confront community
resistance, mostly in subtle ways, but occasionally the
pushback is overt.
“Everybody has examples that they can speak to — use of
the n-word, and staff people who called me by the n-word,”
Russell says, “or even community members for that matter.”
South Eugene High School assistant principal
Stephanie Cannon is one of the school’s ten staff who
identify as a race other than white alone. She is half
African-American and half Caucasian.
“I wish there were more teachers of color in our class-
rooms,” Cannon says, “because I don’t think that we
have enough.”
In the 2012-2013 school year, 27 percent of students
at South Eugene High School were a race other than
white — including mixed race — but only 8 percent
of staff were, according to numbers from the Oregon
Department of Education (ODE). Staff counts include
instructional staff, administrative staff and other staff,
such as guidance counselors and custodial.
“When I was superintendent,” Russell says, “and I
would meet with groups of students, they would always
say, ‘We’d like to see more teachers that look like us.’”
Approximately 30 and 32 percent of the students
in Bethel and Springfield school districts respectively
identify as being a race other than white alone, while
only 11 and 10 percent of staff does.
“I think that our teachers of color, myself included,
often feel like we have to be the spokesperson for students
of color or around cultural competency or if there are
different conversations to be had,” Cannon says. If there
were more teachers of color, she says, there wouldn’t be
as much pressure to be the voice of people of color.
Cannon works with local universities to place student
teachers with teachers for practicums. “It’s rare to have
a person of color as an intern,” she says, “which means
to me there are not enough people of color going into
education, at least in this area.”
In February, the 4J, Bethel and Springfield school
districts applied jointly for an ODE grant intended to
fund efforts at increasing the racial diversity of Oregon
students entering the teaching profession. The trio
ranked 10th out of 12 applications. According to a letter
to 4J from ODE Education Specialist Markisha Smith,
many aspects of the application lack detail or research to
support the claims the application makes.
4J communications coordinator Kerry Delf says the
district is starting a program aimed at increasing the
amount of educators of color in the district. The program
will identify middle school students who want to teach
and put them in four-credit courses while in high school.
Cannon says students of color could benefit from more
teachers of color. “Just from the standpoint of being able
to have a role model, a mentor who you can relate to who
is of color can provide a more supportive environment
for a student.”
There is an average 22.1 percent gap in academic
achievement between underserved races — which ODE
classifies as Hispanic or Latino, black or African-American,
native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian
or Alaska Native — and white students in math and 17.8
percent in reading in the 4J district.
UO Department of Education associate professor
Jerry Rosiek says one of the inhibitors to the success
of underserved races is that the majority of teachers are
white and often lack the cultural competence to aid in the
success of culturally diverse students.
“But it’s not just the student being able to identify
with the person,” Rosiek says. “It’s the knowledge that
the person brings of the kind of identity negotiations that
are necessary when a child is moving through a school
system.”
He says children of color have trouble with navigating
the racist perceptions of others. When teachers don’t
understand this, Rosiek says, the child’s behavior leads
them to believe the child is struggling because of deficits
internal to the child. He describes cultural competency
as the ability to see the child’s responses as a sign of
strength rather than a deficit.
“That ability to see is not guaranteed by someone
bearing the same skin tone as the child or the same
country of origin,” Rosiek says. “It’s born of certain
kinds of experiences … of certain kinds of ideologies
where a person has become at least somewhat self-aware
and critical of the way which racism operates in this
society.” ■
Helping every student reach
his/her potential!
Wellsprings Friends School is a fully accredited, independent, non-profi t
alternative high school founded in 1994. Off ering a variety of learning/
teaching styles, small classes, personal attention, and a safe, nurturing
environment, we provide an engaging high school experience for teenagers
whose learning needs are not met in other settings. Some students come
to us on referral from school districts throughout Lane County; others
attend on a private, tuition-paying basis. Tuition assistance is possible.
Celebrating our 20th Anniversary on August 23rd, Noon-2:30pm.
All welcome! See the school and meet current students, alumni,
parents, and staff !
3590 W. 18th, Eugene • 541-686-1223
www.wellspringsfriends.org
eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 14, 2014
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