Dr. Andre Perry, Founding Dean of Urban Education at Davenport University, said the increased diversity helps Teach for America from a political standpoint because the organization has been seen as “paternalistic.”
In what one scholar described as a significant step toward diversifying its corps, Teach for America—the controversial alternative teacher certification program that has sought to reshape public education in high-need schools throughout the nation—announced Monday that its next wave of teachers is the most racially and ethnically diverse in the organization’s 24-year history.
Whereas last year 41 percent of incoming corps members identified as people of color, this year half of the organization’s incoming teachers identify as teachers of color, officials say.
Andre Perry, an urban education scholar and a vocal critic of Teach for America for its historic lack of diversity, said the organization deserves credit for taking steps to diversify its teacher workforce.
“The first thing one has to acknowledge is that a mainstream reform organization has made significant strides in diversifying its corps,” said Perry, Founding Dean of Urban Education at Davenport University.
“Why that is important is multifold,” Perry said. “First, it provides the requisite foundation for inclusion and equity.
“The other thing is that we have long known that students resonate with people who look like them,” Perry said. “They resonate with people who are from similar circumstances. So when you have a diverse group of teachers, you have more options to find somebody to attach to.
“It makes for a more comfortable learning environment and a richer learning environment,” he said.
