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

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • Longwood University Selects Builder for $73M Performing Arts Center

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently announced that it has selected Swedish construction company Skanska as the builder of its new performing arts center, according to online news. The project involves the demolition of the current building and constructing a new, 64,500-square-foot facility.

  • South Texas K–12 District Debuts Region’s First Electric Bus Fleet

    The Valley View Independent School District in Pharr, Texas, recently announced a partnership with Highland Electric Fleets to launch the district’s—and the region’s—first fleet of all-electric school buses, according to a news release.

Digital Edition