According to data provided by RIDE, 42% of students enrolled in the Rhode Island public school system during the 2017-2018 school year were students of color. 87% of educators in our public schools are white.
Studies have well-documented the connection between having teachers of color and high achievement in minority student populations. We supported this bill which creates a special legislative commission to study ways in which Rhode Island can encourage people of color to enter the field of education. In our testimony, we urged the consideration of policies which would bar teacher applicants from being disqualified from certification solely based on their performance on a standardized test, due to the noted gaps in passing rates between white test-takers and test-takers of color. A subsequent version of the bill, which passed the House, was amended to include more community members who have a direct and vested interest in increasing the number of educators of color.
