A new report shows only 4.2 percent teachers of color in Minnesota classrooms, compared to 30 percent students of color. State Education Department spokesman Josh Collins says, “If we want to see achievement gaps close, if we want to really help ensure that every student has the opportunity to a great education, we need to diversify that teacher work force.” Collins says Governor Mark Dayton in his budget proposes 2.5 million dollars in grants per year to post-secondary institutions, to help recruit a diverse group of future teachers and channel them where positions are most difficult to fill.
The report also finds an increase in the number of teachers leaving the profession — a 34 percent jump since 2008. The data also show just over 15-percent of teachers leave their jobs after the first year.