Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

NASBE Policy Update Urges States to Pay Attention to Teacher Equity Plans

  • 05/19/15

Alexandria, Va. – According to the US Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection, nearly 96 percent of our nation’s public school teachers are licensed and certified. So why are over a half a million low-income and minority students still being taught in schools with the highest percentages of unqualified and inexperienced teachers? A new NASBE Policy Update explores teacher equity and why state policymakers need to start paying closer attention.

In “Will New Teacher Equity Plans Get Closer to the Mark?,” NASBE Director of School Discipline and Equity Kimberly D. Charis urges state, district, and local leaders to “get serious about upholding America’s core value of equal opportunity” by ensuring the all students have equal access to qualified and experienced teachers. The US Department of Education issued new guidance in 2014 requiring states to devise plans by June 1 for how states will ensure all their students have equitable access to excellent educators.

Most states “missed the mark” on their state plans when the department issued similar guidelines back in 2006, Charis says. So the new guidance presents an opportunity for states to close the teacher equity gap. Charis reviews what state teacher equity plans are to include and makes recommendations for how state boards of education can ensure successful implementation. She notes that annually reviewing state data will help uncover where teacher equity gaps exist. State boards of education can also work with school leaders and serve as a convener of discussions about how to promote more equitable teacher distribution practices. “As unbiased brokers for evidence-based policymaking, centered on the best interest of students and the public, state boards of education are a vital partner in every state and local effort to eliminate inequities and close achievement gaps,” writes Charis.

Download and read “Will New Teacher Equity Plans Get Closer to the Mark?”

Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

Featured

  • Abstract tech network data connections with orange, blue glowing dots, lines

    3 Trends for Higher Education to Stay Ahead of in 2026

    As universities enter the new year, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is necessary, but how quickly institutions can convert technological potential into strategic advantage.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.