When you consider the implications for some children of color—that the adults they see in their everyday lives who look like them are not the people in power, control, and leadership—it should provoke you to ask questions. Why do white children see themselves in the superintendents, principals, teachers, counselors, and nurses, whereas students of color see themselves as custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, crossing guards, and maybe student aides?
Equity and the HR Department
What does this have to do with HR? We must ensure that each school has the staffing it needs to support the students. As HR professionals, our priority should be to provide equitable representation in each and every school.
The concept of representation is clearly linked to equity, which is the fair and just distribution of goods and services that allows everyone to succeed. This concept is not difficult to understand; as parents, guardians, and advocates for children, we expect all children to receive what they need, including each school year’s professionals. This is our responsibility. With that, I’d like to share how we can practically consider the equity found in the staff throughout our schools.
For example, an elementary school staff of 25 includes two principals, 18 classroom teachers, and five specialists, none of whom are persons of color. Considering that 54 students of color, or 15%, are enrolled in this school, how can you ensure that equity exists for those students?
If equity is being fair and just, thereby ensuring that everyone has what they need to succeed, shouldn’t the students of color have someone in a position of authority to represent them? Children have a sense of empowerment when they see representatives of themselves. That sense of empowerment encourages them to succeed, to forge ahead in careers they may not have even considered. In a practical sense, that is equity.
Here are some steps HR can take to address equity in schools:
- Talk with your superintendent about ways to diversify the schools.
- Preview the demographics in your schools annually.
- Address equity goals for students of color at a meeting of the entire district administrative team.
- Identify the buildings with minimal or no representation for students of color.
- Discuss equity with the principals of schools with inadequate representation of students of color.
- Instruct principals on achieving equity within their schools.
- Research the district’s history related to hiring teachers of color.
- Research the exit interview information. Did the school ever have any staff members of color? If so, why did they leave?
- Work with the principal to develop a plan to recruit staff members of color with diverse backgrounds.
- When the position is posted, work with principals and superintendents to preview the applicant pool and interview most of the applicants.
- Create a “Want to Interview” list. Ensure that this list presents a diverse candidate pool.
- Develop a hiring process flowchart.
- Monitor the hiring process and demographics of who is hired.
- Analyze your results as a basis for setting next year’s goals.
- Repeat.
The more you communicate with your leadership team and encourage the hiring of diverse staff members, the more it becomes a natural priority.
Each year, the minority teaching pool shrinks, in part because students do not see themselves in those leadership roles.
Some will say they do not want to hire someone just because of race. The fact is that the hiring pool for staff of color in affluent districts typically offers the most educated and degreed staff members. To suggest that hiring staff members of color would be based only on their race is a biased statement, implying that they are not as professional or skilled as their white counterparts. Your administrators will provide a rigorous interview process for all candidates; and it is assumed that the applicants of color will be allowed to interview and to be considered as equally as their white colleagues. Your role as the HR professional is to ensure that you have a diverse applicant pool filled with qualified, educated staff members.
Equitable, Just and Fair
Remember, this work provides equity for the students of color that you serve. It is equitable, just, and fair for them to see themselves represented in their schools. If we do not meet that responsibility, then as a by-product, we will continue to struggle with the teacher shortage. Each year, the minority teaching pool shrinks, in part because students do not see themselves in those leadership roles. We have not provided that clear connection.
We can start now. It is our obligation to all students