It's not because we're not trying to increase minority teacher hiring. Few minorities are entering teaching. The need to increase the diversity in the teaching workforce is an issue teacher preparation institutions have been dealing with since the seventies, according to Dr. Carl A. Grant, professor of teacher education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is nationally known for his work in multicultural education. But the argument behind it, says Grant, is different today than it was three decades ago.
Diversity creates more opportunities for everyone.
For white students, having a teacher from a different culture or of a different race or ethnicity is an opportunity to learn about others and experience the cultural and social diversity that form the basis of our democracy. For culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse students, there are important pedagogical reasons for ensuring that students have the opportunity to be taught by teachers who reflect their ethnicity and culture. In other words, instruction and content can be made more culturally relevant to students when their teacher has shared or lived similar cultural experiences. Thus having shared backgrounds and cultures helps teachers construct authentic, meaningful opportunities for students.