RECRUITING MINORITY TEACHERS: A DIVERSITY TASK FORCE REPORT FROM THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY Introduction Institutional values, like individual ones, are measured more by actions than by words. As an academic community, The College of New Jersey's School of Education has made significant gains in articulating a philosophical position that guarantees full participation in the mainstream community to members of diverse groups. However, attitudes and practices persist, particularly with reference to the recruitment and retention of students of color, that contribute to a racially isolated environment. In writing about feminist theory, bell hooks (1) discusses the difference in perspective of "the whole" that those who live in the margin have as opposed to those with privilege who live in "the center". She suggests that the views of the privileged rarely include knowledge and awareness of the lives of those who live in the margins. As a heterogeneous society, we have lacked the vision and political will necessary to address issues of diversity head on. We often fail to recognize the extent to which all of our lives and future prospects are threatened by the neglect that is borne directly by an identifiable segment of our population, particularly those who live in "the margin". As The College of New Jersey's School of Education prepares for the twenty-first century, the time has come to create a collective will to act decisively to achieve results and to be responsive not only to the privileged, but also to those whose lives are characterized by marginality. Diversity Task Force The Diversity Task Force was created by the Dean to serve as a forum on behalf of the School of Education to address issues of diversity. An invitation in the form of a memo was extended to faculty and staff in the School of Education to serve on the task force. At least one individual from every department in the School of Education expressed an interest in working on the task force. Special invitations were extended to some colleagues because of the nature of their position (i.e. Director of Minority Admissions, Affirmative Action Director, etc.) The charge to the task force was to examine the issue of diversity as it impacted on the students in the School of Education and to propose recommendations and strategies to address deficient areas. The task force interpreted the charge as a request by the Dean to design an action agenda for the School of Education and to establish a sense of common purpose to see the agenda implemented. The members of the task force included: Co-Chairs: Dr. Donald Leake - Educational. Admin. and Secondary Education Dr. Karlene Morrison - Educational Admin. And Secondary Education Faculty and Staff Members: Mr. James E. Boatwright - Director, EOF Programs Dr. Ellen Frede - Elementary Education Dr. Debra Garrett - Language and Communication Sciences Mr. Wayne Jackson - Assistant Director of Admissions (Minority Mentoring) Dr. Harold (Happy) Johnson - Special Education Ms. Pamela B. Jones - Director, Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action Dr. Mark Kiselica - Counseling and Personnel Services Dr. Jean Konzal - Elementary Education Dr. Brenda Leake - Elementary Education Dr. Ruth Palmer - Educational Admin. & Secondary Education Dr. Denise Shephard - Elementary Education Dr. Joseph Smith - Educational Admin. & Secondary Education Dr. Connie Titone - Educational Admin. & Secondary Education Dr. Jean Wong - Language and Communication Sciences Graduate Student Members: Ms. Viviane Escalona Mr. Eric Miles Ms. Kathleen Miller Ms. Cheri Sistek "Diversity" Defined The "cultural diversity" framework is an inclusive one that subsumes issues related to class religion, sexual preference, gender, race, ethnicity, and exceptionality. The task force believes that these perspectives should be represented on a campus that purports to be "diverse". Therefore, the Diversity Task Force recommends that the School of Education adopt the following statement or preamble to our work: Preamble The School of Education of The College of New Jersey is committed to the inclusion of heretofore under-represented groups. We believe that the inclusion of students of color, students with disabilities, students with linguistic and cultural differences, students from different socio-economic backgrounds, and students with differing lifestyles and sexual orientations adds to the complexity and interest that constitutes campus life. We believe that a truly diverse campus attests to the commitment of the institution to provide a true forum for the contest of ideas and affirms the contributions of all members of society. Having committed ourselves to this diversity, we realize, as Tove Skutnabb-Kangas says, that "diversity often skirts the issue of racism and discrimination. In some schools, diversity is a more euphemistic substitute for dealing with the very real issues of exclusion that many students face. Racism needs to be confronted head on, and no softening of terms will help. However, when diversity is understood in the more comprehensive way described above, it can lead to inclusion and support of all people."(2) While the task force believes that TCNJ needs to increase the diversity in all of the areas represented above, we also believe that the most pressing problem lies in the recruitment of minority teachers into education. If we can develop the strategies to address this problem successfully, those same strategies can be applied in other areas. The Problem Most educators are aware of the data that indicate that by the turn of the century, the proportion of teachers of color will decline from approximately 10 percent of the teacher force in 1990 to just under 5 percent. This decline in the percentage of teachers of color is occurring while the proportion of students of color in the school age population is expected to increase to approximately 32 percent (3). With a minority teaching force of 340,412 and a minority student body of about 11 million, there is one minority teacher for every 32 minority students. With whites, the ratio is one teacher for every 12 students.(4) Mindful of this demographic shift, teacher preparation programs in general, but particularly those in urban areas, should identify strategies to aggressively respond to this lack of diversity in the teaching force. Low numbers of teachers of color and others from marginalized groups communicate a clear and disturbing message to everyone in the school community. While all teachers can serve as role models and can develop classroom environments conducive to learning, the lack of diversity among the teaching staff raises questions concerning the "hidden curriculum" and the social lessons our students learn from their environments when they notice the absence of difference in their role models and mentors. Over the past seven years, the percentage of students of color in The College of New Jersey has consistently been 10 to 15 percent higher than the percentage of students in the School of Education. However, recent legal attacks on the affirmative action policies of colleges and universities have already had a chilling effect on the diversity of student bodies. While the state of California passed Proposition 209 in l996, the University of California Boar of Regents recently rejected a proposal that would have banned preferential admissions for the children of the rich, the famous, and the well-connected. It would appear that those in "the center" are widening their circle and narrowing "the margins" even as we speak. The State Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights maintains that "it is permissible in appropriate circumstances for colleges and universities to consider race and other minority applications in making admissions decisions....to promote diversity of their student body."(5) As University of Michigan President Lee Bollinger says, "the virtues of having diversity on our campuses should be clear by now. If we lose our ability to create that, we will move back toward a resegregated system of higher education.."(6) The Diversity Task Force recommends that the School of Education, under the leadership of its Dean, mobilize the physical, political, financial, and human resources necessary to address the shortage of diverse teacher candidates in professional programs at The College of New Jersey. Guiding Principles The Task Force proposes a School of Education policy agenda that flows from a set of guiding principles concerning diversity. The following principles form the foundation for the specific recommendations and strategies for the School of Education policy and program development. 1. One can maintain one's subculture while acquiring the cultural, educational, and economic competencies to effectively function within other cultural systems. 2. Every individual, no matter what his or her socio-economic status, and regardless of race, sex, physical condition, sexual orientation, or ethnic origin, has the right to be treated with respectand understanding. 3. All communities, but particularly academic communities, derive positive value from diversity. 4. Exemplary professionals should be drawn from all the populations which they purport to serve. 5. Leadership and advocacy are demonstrated by promoting individual development and social justice through education. Recommendations and Strategies The task force had a great deal of difficulty in compartmentalizing its recommendations. As we went about our work, it became increasingly clear that most of our issues and concerns over lapped and were difficult to address separately from the others. Nevertheless, we have tried to make recommendations in at least four (4) distinct areas. They are: recruitment, retention, awareness, and organization. Recruitment 1. Commit to systematic, collective, aggressive recruitment 2. Find more monies in the form of scholarships, grants, and endowments 3. Consider specialty recruitment (ex: Speech Pathology) 4. Utilize multiple admissions criteria (de-emphasize SAT as sole or primary criteria) 5. Develop pilot Projects 6. Develop an Initial "Contact" Action Plan 7. Pair students with mentor from the initial contact Retention 1. Enhance graduate program 2. Enhance off-site programs, summer sessions 3. Increase visibility for students of color 4. Continue recruitment and retention of minority faculty 5. Emphasize the distinction between advising and mentoring 6. Contact alumni as possible mentors 7. Develop a "Teacher Institute" for professional development that is ongoing for core and adjunct faculty Awareness 1. Provide for faculty sensitivity, awareness, and training (especially for non minority faculty) 2. Train all faculty for confidence and competency in dealing with racial and cultural issues inside as well as outside of the classroom 3. Develop an educated and sensitized cadre of "first contact" personnel ( this would include secretaries, advisors, and core and adjunct teachers wh teach introductory courses) 4. Address the levels of multiculturalism (i.e.: Banks, Sleeter, et al.) currently operating at TCNJ and prepare faculty and staff to move forward along this continuum. Organization 1. Develop a Timeline (2 - 5 year plan) with targets and evaluative processes 2. Hold an Urban Education Conference 3. Survey students of color to see what their experiences are at TCNJ 4. Address specialty majors such as Speech Pathology NARRATIVE The Task force began its work by first familiarizing the members with the current demographics for and especially for the School of Education. The group agreed to look at four primary areas of concern: awareness, recruitment, retention, and mentoring. The group also agreed that we would eventually like to add "placement" to that list, but for now we felt that we had enough work dealing with the other four. A list of questions was utilized to help keep us focused when discussing each area of concern. Those questions were: 1. What strategies do you think the Dean can employ to increase the percentage of students of color enrolled in the School of Education? 2. What strategies can departments employ to increase the percentage of students of color enrolled in programs offered by the respective departments? 3. Does any part of the admissions process act as a disincentive for students of color? 4. Are there current strategies in place (i.e. EOF, Minority Admissions, or Affirmative Action) that the School of Education can build on? 5. What are other institutions doing to recruit and retain students? 6. Who are the stakeholders in this problem and how can we involve them in a remedy? I. RECRUITMENT The opening discussion centered on the ability of TCNJ to recruit and hold students of color. The consensus of the group is that TCNJ is not nearly competitive enough in this regard. There is no systematic and collective recruitment and more importantly, not nearly enough money being set aside for this purpose. The competition to attract and recruit minority students is indeed fierce. TCNJ faculty on this task force recounted how their own children had been "wined and dined" by numerous institutions. Any student looking for acceptance to a college or university is looking for the best financial offer available and this is especially true for talented students of moderate or limited financial means. TCNJ apparently has one of the highest tuitions, the highest fees, the highest SAT scores, and the lowest financial aid package of any of the state colleges. Therefore, one of our primary recommendations is to commit monies to this recruitment in the form of scholarships, grants, and/or endowments --both full and partial. Our admissions experts told us that we have even lost students (32 to date) who had been accepted here and had paid their fees only to be Ôwooed" away by bigger and ever expanding aid packages in what amounts to a "bidding war". While the committee does not advocate that we embrace such a practice, we do believe that we need to support our rhetoric with resources to a much higher degree that we have heretofore. A graduating senior in the School of Education now typically owes $32,000 and this is a public institution. One suggestion that emerges from our discussions was the possibility of targeting alumni from the School of Education to encourage them to designate their contributions to the college in the form of scholarships or aid to be used exclusively to recruit and support teacher candidates. A dual consideration was the concern for aggressive recruitment. Most of the institutions that are achieving success in the recruitment of students of color are doing so not only because they are providing excellent financial incentives, but also because they have gone out of their way to persuade the students that they will be mentored and supported throughout their career at that institution. Competitors often bring prospective students on campus for two or three days (as opposed to one) and these applicants meet their college mentor on the very first day, even before their acceptance is finalized. We cannot stress enough the power of the personal touch when it comes to recruitment. Many applicants are coming from cultural backgrounds where transactions are always personal in nature. In these cultures, one never sends a form without a personal letter, one never sends a letter without a personal telephone call, and one never makes a personal call unless one is unable to see the candidate in person. In the optimum recruitment scenario, one should do all of these: call everyone who applies, write to everyone who applies, and invite everyone who applies. It was also the consensus of the task force that TCNJ may inadvertently be dissuading a certain number of candidates from applying by continuously touting our "superiority" which may be interpreted by some as elitism. We have been told by colleagues in area high schools that many academic counselors are under the impression that their advisees "need not apply" because their SATÕs are not high enough for them to even be considered. It is recommended by the task force that the School of Education should embark upon a program aimed at enlightening high school counselors of our seriousness in recruiting students of color. We believe that these counselors should be "wined and dined" a little and helped to understand that a 1290 SAT score does not necessarily indicate a cutoff, but a measure of central tendency. The task force also recommends that we develop a "pipeline" to the college by maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the PDS schools and their counselors, county colleges and their counselors, area churches with large populations and other civic and community organizations. We could invite these organizations to an Urban Education Conference and we could sponsor "talent searches" through these groups and perhaps give college credit for certain courses taught in some of the PDS schools. Additionally, the committee noted that TCNJ appeared to diverge from the national trend toward multiple criteria for assessment and evaluation. We seem to be wedded rather firmly to the SAT score as the single most accurate predictor of college achievement. Clearly the School of Education is in a position to advocate for a pedagogy which is more inclusive and which is based on the educational principles of multiple assessments for multiple intelligences. To allow to go unchallenged the mindset that SATÕs determine ability is not what we would consider to be "best practice". Similarly, we believe that "student centered" does not mean "one size fits all" freshman year assigned classes! The task force also suggested that we investigate the possibility of developing "pilot programs in conjunction with our PDS schools and area county colleges. We could perhaps identify a cadre of students who have been successful in their freshman and sophomore years and begin by transferring students who have already progressed beyond that crucial four semester beginning period. At this point in time, our discussion turned in a slightly different direction. We assumed that our pipelines were working, all applicants were being vigorously pursued, and monies were available. Our next concern was to look at which individuals at TCNJ would constitute the applicants "initial contacts". We agreed that it only takes one negative experience in the recruitment process to undo the work of many. It is our suggestion, therefore, that we develop a cadre of "first contact" people who have been sensitized to the importance of their position in the recruitment and retention process. This would include admissions personnel, advisors, mentors, office staff, graduate assistants, and faculty who teach the introductory level courses. As an offshoot of this discussion, the task force was particularly concerned with the fact that as it currently stands, many of our education majors are advised and controlled by faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences . Research indicates that the first four semesters are the most crucial with respect to retention,-- the first two being the most critical. Many education majors or undeclared majors have not been exposed to education faculty until the second semester of their sophomore year -- the last of those crucial first four semesters. The attitudes of the faculty these students come in contact with in those beginnings semesters can either confirm or undermine their commitment to remain at the institution. Some of these concerns are currently being addressed by the Commission on Secondary Education chaired by Dr. Connie Titone. As with so much of our discussion, one concern began to merge into another and we were very mindful of the ricocheting effects of all of these inter-related issues. If , for instance, we are serious about making a distinction between mentoring and advising, we need to look seriously at faculty-student ratios, not just for mentors, but for advisors as well. We wonder how effective any advisor can be when advising 80 or so students? How much control can we exercise over the interactions between faculty and students if one-third (1/3) of the faculty is comprised of adjunct instructors? One of the last issues we addressed with respect to recruitment was the issue of policies which might be considered "anti-student". Do we need to develop a greater degree of empathy within the institution so that a student's registration is not automatically canceled because they owe $59.00 in fees or fines. We understand the need to observe rules and regulations, but we would ask those responsible for enforcing them to be mindful of the fact that bureaucracies sometimes get in their own way and shoot themselves in the foot in the process. The last three recommendations we would make would be to: 1) make sure that the School of EducationÕs representative to CARR is a person who is committed to the work of recruiting students of color as well as students from other under-represented populations. 2) suggest the formation of a committee within the School of Education that would provide the linkage necessary for success in recruitment. This committee could include members from TEAC, CARR, The Implementation Committee, The Secondary Education Committee, and the Diversity Task force just to name a few, and 3) to make some programs more visible through "specialty" recruiting keeping in mind that approximately 25% of all students are enrolled as "open option". II. RETENTION Although many of the recommendations for recruitment also apply equally to retention,the task force felt that there were certain specifics which we should address. The most important of these is visibility. Graduate students who participated in the work of the task force, told us how uncomfortable it was to be the "only" student of color or of mixed heritage in the class. They spoke of the isolation and loneliness they experienced in classes where they often felt as if their personal behavior and comportment was being evaluated as "representative " of an entire group. They also spoke of the importance of having minority faculty and staff as role models and mentors. The task force believes that the continued recruitment of minority faculty and staff is also equally important for the educational development of non-minority students. For many students, the college classroom is the first place where they have had a minority teacher. This aspect of retention depends to a large degree upon our success in recruitment. Obviously, greater diversity within the ranks of students, faculty, staff and administrators will raise the comfort level and the interest of students who heretofore have felt very much alone at TCNJ. Mr. James Boatwright and Mr. Wayne Jackson indicated that the would be willing to conduct a symposium for the School of Education so that faculty could be better informed with respect to some of the central issues in recruitment and retention. A second crucial ingredient for retaining students is genuine mentoring. The task force discussed at length the distinctions and differences between advising and mentoring. As was stated earlier, the first four semesters are the most important in the retention of non-traditional students. In keeping with the conceptual framework, we believe that mentors should fulfill the role of an advocate while "providing service on behalf or students and clients." (7 ) Mentors would do more that just advise students on their academic program, they would promote individual development and responsibility and would help the student navigate through the college system. They would serve many functions , play many roles: friend, counselor, advisor, contact person, intermediary, negotiator, etc. Mentors would also maintain contact with their students during the summer months and monitor their progress all year. Students need not be restricted to "a" mentor, but could benefit from multiple mentors. One suggestion was to develop an alumni mentoring program which would pair successful graduates from the School of Education with students in Elementary or Secondary Education. Graduate students could also be paired with successful graduates from our M.Ed or M.A.T programs. A third important factor in retention is academic support, including improving study habits, test-taking skills, academic counseling, and tutoring. There is research available at TCNJ that indicates that EOF students, for example, improved academically when housed on the same dormitory floor. The task force recommends that we look seriously at the data we have available to us and begin to implement those strategies which seem to insure a greater level of academic success. Another component of academic success involves the creation of a "safe" environment for the honest discussion of differences. This classroom climate cannot be established if faculty are uncomfortable with diversity issues, especially those involving race, gender, and social class. The pursuit of "political correctness" can be interpreted by students as an unwillingness to discuss issues of importance and an uneasiness with those affected by those issues. The task force recommends the development of an ongoing "Teacher Institute" for the continuous development of core and adjunct faculty relative to these issues. The task force was particularly emphatic about the need for a renewed commitment to the enhancement of graduate education. One of the "draws" for many students is the possibility of advanced study as an extension of their undergraduate work. The presence of a strong graduate school has always contributed to the recruitment of the undergraduate student body. It is particularly important, however, for educational professionals since so much of their professional development, certification, and licensure takes place at the graduate level. Similarly, professional development can be enhanced by increased diversity in the structure of academic offerings. An improved summer session program, at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and more off-site programs might increase the retention rate for those students who have to balance college commitments with work commitment in order to continue to fund their studies. III. AWARENESS Throughout our discussions, one issue kept surfacing over and over again and that issue was one of sensitivity and awareness of race relations, especially for non-minority faculty. In addition to developing an educated and sensitized cadre of "first contact" personnel ( which would include secretaries, advisors, and core and adjunct teachers who teach introductory courses), the task force believes that the School of Education needs to provide training for its faculty so that they feel confident and competent in dealing with racial and cultural issues inside as well as outside of the classroom. It was suggested that the School of Education address the levels of multiculturalism (i.e.: Banks, Sleeter, et al) currently operating at TCNJ and prepare faculty and staff to move forward along this continuum. This initial training would be supported and re-evaluated on a regular basis through the implementation of the "teacher institute" mentioned earlier in the report. IV. ORGANIZATION This last category is a list of recommendations that seemed important to the overall success of the mission. A principal recommendation is to develop a Two to Five Year Plan or Timeline to implement the recommendations. This timeline should have realistic targets and specific evaluative processes. A second recommendation is to hold an Urban Education Conference or Series of Conferences which would bring together many of the parties who are so important in the successful transfer of students from area high schools and communities into the college environment. To better understand what strategies and experiences might be most productive in achieving our goals, it was suggested that we might survey students of color who are currently enrolled at TCNJ as well as graduates in order to find out what they believe would help. Lastly, it was felt that perhaps the School of Education should re-evaluate the specialty majors such as Speech Pathology and Deaf Education. These majors have the potential to attract that percentage of students who are undeclared, provided that the programs are given the proper support and marketing. Networks are currently in place to facilitate the recruitment of minority students into educational careers. The task force suggests that the School of Education at the College of New Jersey seek membership in the following organizations: Consortium for Minorities in Teaching Careers 5 Thomas Circle, N.W. Washington, DC 20005 Education Commission of the States 707 17th St., Suite 2700, Denver, CO 80202 Multicultural Alliance P.O. Box 887, Ross CA 94957 NAACP Education Department 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 National Education Association, Student Program and Human and Civil Rights, 1201 16th St. N.W.Washington DC 20036 Recruiting New Teachers 385 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02178 References 1. bell hooks, 2. Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, "Legitimating or Delegitmating New Forms of Racism," in Affirming Diversity by Sonia Nieto, Longman, 1992 3. NEA, "Recruiting Minority Teachers," Human and Civil Rights Action Paper, 1998 4. NEA, op.cit. p. 2 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. The College of New Jersey, "Creating Exemplary Professionals," A Conceptual Framework for the School of Education, l997