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Editorial: Diversity of teaching staff is important The Denver Post America's classrooms are growing increasingly diverse, but the teachers who head them are not. Only two out of 10 teachers in U.S. classrooms are male, and just one of 10 are ethnic minorities, according to a recent National Education Association survey. The findings are troubling on many fronts. For much of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, men made up about one-third of all teachers. In the 1990s, their numbers slid to about 21 percent, the NEA found. Part of that could be financial, as college graduates in the 1990s flocked to high-tech fields where paychecks were much fatter. Starting salaries for teachers have jumped over the past few years - the NEA survey found the average contract salary for teachers in 2001 was $43,262 - but it can take years to earn enough money to support a family, some teachers lament. And college graduates who don't want to wait too long to own a home or a car seek other options. ... And while the number of male teachers has dropped, the number of ethnic minority teachers has remained terribly low and stagnant for the past three decades. Almost 40 percent of America's students are considered ethnic minorities, according to government figures, but only 10 percent of their teachers are minority. Teachers serve as role models, whether intending to or not, and it's important for minority students to see teachers who look like them and share their cultural backgrounds. Universities should create and actively fund more programs like Cumbres at the University of Northern Colorado. It was started by Hispanic alumni concerned about poor graduation rates among Latino high schoolers and their even poorer college graduation rates. Cumbres recruits and trains young teachers-to-be who are committed to working with Hispanic children in public schools. The idea is if the number of teachers who are bilingual or are certified to teach English as a second language increases, Colorado's Hispanic school children will have more role models and teachers whose proficiency in Spanish and English will enable them to better meet their educational needs, says Cumbres interim director Linda Carbajal. Yet Pres Montoya, one of Cumbres' founders, says UNC has been slow to embrace the program, despite its successes. He's confident, however, that UNC's new leaders understand Cumbres' importance in recruiting, retaining and graduating minority teachers. ... Until more programs like Cumbres are started, the number of minority teachers will remain low, along with the chances of success for many minority students. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -