Collective solution needed for classroom diversity

Your Gomers section on Feb. 10 stated that the beginning student teacher population of Hispanic ethnicity or racial minorities was at 2.5 percent, down from 2.8 percent a decade ago. The statewide average for minorities for all teachers was stagnant at 2.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the student population diversity showed a 20.3 percent average for minorities. You then state that matching the teacher to student ratio doesn't guarantee anything, but “experts” say it can help. A question: Can a Hispanic teacher relate better to a black student than a white teacher?

If, in fact, the teacher student ratio is a good measure of improved academic performance (which I have to question), then do we need to hire about 10 times more minority teachers for the current student population and fire an equal number of experienced “white” teachers?

A second point in your Gomers correctly identified a daunting, but important issue; namely that disadvantaged kids, minority and poor, are not doing well at school. I don't think you have begun to scratch the surface as to how to solve it and I think you may be diverting attention from the source of the problem by waving the diversity flag. Parental guidance, teacher training, counseling/mentoring, funding, etc., all need to be looked at as part of a collective solution.

Gordon Taylor

Anamosa