Isabella Sanchez, a fifth-grade teacher, highlighted the importance of diversity among teachers during a D.C. State Board of Education meeting. With a predominantly Latino student body yet few Latino teachers, she expressed concerns about the lack of representation. A 2019 report reveals a significant disparity in diversity, as 45% of D.C. students are males of color while only 16% of teachers are, and Latino students make up 19% compared to just 7% of teachers. This gap negatively impacts students' perceptions of themselves and their potential paths in education.
"This gap should matter to us as it matters to the students who walk into the school every single day...how many stories our Latinx students and their families would be empowered to tell if there were more Latinx teachers to tell them to."
"America's schools are more diverse than ever. But the teachers are still mostly White."
"What message does that send to [students]? That Latinx people don't or can't become teachers?"
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