To whom it may concern*,
I am writing to continue a conversation we began in September, in which we discussed the diversity of boards and in particular your efforts to diversify the board of PEN. As I recall, prior to your tenure the board consisted of 3 percent people of color, but this number has risen to fourteen percent under your intentional leadership. I would like to applaud you for these efforts, and add to our conversation on this important topic. It is not just vital that PEN diversify its board, but that these efforts begin a domino effect in other professional education organizations in Nashville and other major cities.
According to popular research, teacher diversity has a positive impact on student academic outcomes. In a 2011 report by the Center For American Progress, within the next twenty years there will be no racial or ethnic majority in schools. Instead, schools will be a replica of the world we live in; colorful and rich in diverse cultures, languages, economic strata, and life experiences. The report goes on to rank cities according to a “Teacher Diversity Gap,” created by subtracting the percentage of teachers of color within a state from the percentage of students of color. Tennessee has a teacher diversity gap of 24, and ranks 28 out of 50 states and territories. Furthermore, more current data from the Tennessee state report card documents that almost 60% of Davidson County students are students of color, yet only 1 in 4 teachers are minorities. More specifically, the student population of Davidson County is 41% African American and 24% Latino, yet our teaching workforce is only 23% African American and a mere 2% Latino. These numbers are discouraging, but what if we extended this measure to rank the diversity of outside educational organizations versus students of color. My intuition is that this percentage would be larger, as not every organization seeks diversity with the intentionality that PENCIL does.
A quick analysis of the websites of prominent local organizations report such findings as six people of color out of twenty-three total board members, or a percentage of roughly 26%. In addition to this, no one on the administrative staff of this particular organization visibly identifies as a person of color. Another valued local non-profit organization has seated on its administrative staff 25% people of color, or two out of eight staff members. Though it is not my intention to set the standard for exactly what percentage of board members or administrative staff should be diverse, however there is a value to an organization reflecting the racial and ethnic makeup of the community it serves. The issue here is not diversity of boards, specifically, but representation. It is vital that to meet the needs of a diverse student population, organizations that have high levels of interaction with students in schools reflect student populations.
When we think of the role of educational partners, most often these organizations bridge the gap between educational attainment and social needs. National organizations such as Communities In Schools—which identifies school-level needs and mobilizes community supports—place full-time staff in schools to address academic and non-academic barriers to student success. Your organization in particular coordinates hundreds of volunteers that push into schools and work with students as mentors, tutors, and positive role models. It is your board that allocates substantial funds, invests in specific programming, and regularly evaluates to ensure that these operations are run with fidelity. Reflective representation of boards and administrative staff should result in a positive relationship between culturally reflective and responsive programming and personnel. The argument is that by giving various cultures a seat at the table, more intentional programming, funding allocations, and hiring practices should result.
Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, and advances in Health Care, a growing technical sector, and a likely public transportation system will only make Davidson County more attractive. To be proactive and competitive in a market with many peripheral education services, local educational organizations should intentionally recruit diverse staff, administrators, and board members.
*For fidelity and the continuation of my employment, I have altered my original memo to be anonymous.