We have a small window to do right by teachers of color
After 18 months of distance learning, Minneapolis Public Schools cannot afford to lose a single teacher of color who is supporting student academic growth.
By Heather Anderson
December 22nd, 2021
Since they were third graders, my children have attended Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). Next fall, they will be high schoolers. They have never had a single classroom teacher of color. I'll never forget the day my then-sixth grade son arrived home and excitedly shared, "I had a sub that looked like me, Mom. It was amazing!" That was one hour of one day of one school year.
I hope my kids will get the chance to have a teacher who shares their racial identity before their MPS career ends, but the current odds are low. MPS and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) have an opportunity to change those odds, but they have to get serious about improving the retention of teachers of color.
Heather Anderson
