Hear, then protect, teachers of color

Several Black educators from the Minneapolis Public Schools recently filed a formal complaint against Minneapolis Federation of Teachers leadership, citing racial harm toward teachers of color ("Minneapolis Federation of Teachers will elect union leaders in May," April 25). The Minneapolis NAACP and educator Alexis Mann held a news conference, calling on union leadership to act upon their claimed commitment to listen to, protect and support teachers of color.

At this moment the Minneapolis district is laying off Black teachers at a disproportionate rate. Approximately 62% of the district's students are Black, brown, Indigenous or multiracial. Only 18% of teachers are people of color. Exiting teachers of color at disproportionate rates is a long-held pattern.

According to studies from the University of Chicago, Brookings Institution and others, when students of color access teachers of color their attendance and academic achievement improve, representation in rigorous courses increases and suspension rates decrease. Graduation rates go up as well.

Our systems and bureaucracy continue to fail our Black and brown students.

Let us be clear: Students of color are capable, they are brilliant and they are resilient. But when systems hold up systemic racism, it's students who suffer the most.

Teachers of color are naming that the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers fell short on declaring protections for teachers of color as a priority during the latest contract negotiations, including removing layoff protections from one of their proposals, and leaving teachers of color in the dark during negotiations.

What's more, during the strike student learning was not an active topic of conversation (conversely, many teachers protested longer days and a longer school year to recover from alarming levels of learning loss due to COVID, which the strike exacerbated).

In every conversation, we should ask ourselves how students of color are doing academically. Are they learning? Are they experiencing instruction and rigor that prepare them for life? Most teachers care deeply about the students they serve — and our solutions should consistently center on them.

Teachers of color are naming, too, that the union pits teacher diversity and seniority against each other. The point of contention: The union's sacred "last in, first out" (LIFO) provision, forcing the newest or most junior teachers — who are disproportionately teachers of color — out of a job when budget cuts result in layoffs.

Currently 96% of Minnesota teachers are white (and mostly women). It remains so because no matter how many new teachers of color our schools hire they're always the "last in" and so the "first out" in seniority-based layoffs.

Any system that structurally and persistently thwarts racial justice is racist and needs to transform. If the teachers union is truly anti-racist, it must stop safeguarding antiquated policies that stifle diversifying the teaching profession.

We are Black women who care deeply for the Minneapolis district and also hear our educators of color. We support them. Speaking up against systems that don't work for everyone requires courage. We believe that a teacher workforce rich in diversity with a shared value for all educators will help the district thrive again.

Intentionally and effectively supporting teachers of color requires action. And the conditions are right. Under the leadership of Gov. Mark Dayton, the Legislature updated state law to provide districts with seniority-related flexibilities toward equitable teacher contracts and to ensure students access diverse teachers. The Minneapolis district should utilize these flexibilities.

First, the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers should immediately implement contractual language to protect these teachers from layoffs and propose a memorandum of agreement to hire back newly laid off teachers of color.

The financial instability of the district, which the new teacher contract has exacerbated, means more cuts are on the horizon. Acknowledging the district's financial state, but also the pandemic and the rise of community crises and violence disproportionately affecting children of color, union leadership could heed this moment to infuse more equity into our community's teacher workforce. This includes welcoming ideas for collective bargaining and teacher contracts that are grounded in equity and student needs.

What's more, the Minneapolis Board of Education can establish a vision to hire, develop and retain teachers of color. They can bring this vision into the superintendent search and hold the next superintendent accountable over teacher diversity.

The news media can strengthen its coverage of education, helping raise all voices (not just the loudest ones).

This fall we have school board elections. We, as members of the general public, can ask candidates about their commitment to teacher diversity and position this issue and opportunity as a core tenet of the election.

Are you ready to listen? This week marks Teacher Appreciation Week. In the spirit of that, are we ready to change systems so there's space in the teaching profession for teachers of all races and ethnicities?

Bernadeia Johnson is assistant professor at Mankato State University and former Minneapolis Public Schools superintendent. Sondra Samuels is president and CEO, Northside Achievement Zone.