KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo Public School district is co-sponsoring a conference at Western Michigan University this weekend in hopes of recruiting more teachers of color.
Only 13% of the teachers in Kalamazoo Schools are minorities, but Board President Patti-Sholler Barber says it would be higher if they had their way. “It isn’t that we’re choosing not to, there’s so so few people going into education in general, as well as anyone representing any minority group,” said Barber at Thursday evening’s school board meeting.
In fact, a report from the Michigan League for Public Policy showed that while a third of Michigan’s students were children of color in the 2017-18 school year, more than 90% of teachers and 80% of administrators were white.
That’s why WMU is hosting the state’s inaugural Inspiring Future Teachers of Color Conference.
High school and college students will participate in workshops and educators will discuss why so few students are choosing education as a career.
Kalamazoo Trustee Jermaine Jackson says he is eagerly anticipating the discussion. “I’m glad that this opportunity has come up, that this conference was formed, and I’m just anticipating to learn and see how it goes,” Jackson explained.
The event will take place from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday at the Bernhard Center Ballroom. The event is free to attend but registration is limited to the first 200 participants.
The conference will be co-hosted by WMU’s College of Education and Human Development, Future Teachers of Color student organization, Kalamazoo Public Schools, and The Kalamazoo Promise.
More information can be found on WMU’s website.
