Rubén Hinojosa: “I believe that H.R. 221 is a step in the right direction. It builds on the improvements made to teacher preparation…”

“I believe that H.R. 221 is a step in the right direction. It builds on the improvements made to teacher preparation programs in the 1998 amendments to the Higher Education Act and provides a much needed focus on preparing a diverse teacher corps so that America's teachers reflect the students in America's classrooms. To improve student achievement, schools of education must graduate teacher candidates that are prepared to teach our Nation's increasingly diverse K-12 student population. About 42 percent of all public schools in the United States have no minority teachers even though minority students make up more than a third of enrollment in U.S. public schools. Minority teachers make up just 13.5 percent of all teachers. By the early 21st century, the percentage of minority teachers is expected to shrink to an all-time low or 5 percent. While 41 percent of American students will be minorities. Furthermore, some 2.4 million teachers will be needed in the next 11 years because of teacher attrition and retirement as well as increased student enrollment. Improving minority teacher recruitment will help our Nation meet the challenge of addressing this severe nationwide teacher shortage. Minority-serving institutions are uniquely equipped to help us address these shortages. The Centers of Excellence established in this legislation could provide much needed assistance so that these institutions can increase the number of highly qualified teachers they produce.”