Maya has one fear at school: the lunchroom. It didn’t take long for Maya, who is one of a handful of Indian students in our school, to notice strange looks from nearby students when she would open her lunch. These students would mock the orange color of her jalebis or the earthy smell of her saag paneer. When Maya approached adults for help, they, too, were outsiders to her culture, so Maya resorted to eating her lunch in the bathroom.
A colleague alerted me to Maya’s predicament. I reached out to her, and now we eat our lunches together in my room — two Indians sharing food, culture and the experiences of being seen as different. At times during lunch, if kids ask intrusive questions about Maya’s food, I swoop in and say how good her jalebi is or how her saag paneer is perfectly seasoned. By eating together, I helped ease the “othering” that Maya felt. Students who used to mock her are now asking to try these dishes, and, as a result, Maya no longer feels invisible. Being seen by someone who understands her has made all the difference.
Maya is not the only student for whom representation matters. In Illinois, 82% of teachers are white, while the state’s student population is 53% nonwhite. Students like Maya are searching for adults who look like them and understand their experiences. Too often, those adults are not there. Without students seeing themselves in their teachers, we risk more children being disengaged from school and learning.
Our state leaders recognize the importance of diversifying our teaching force. For instance, Illinois piloted a program to recruit future teachers of color by creating best practices in teacher prep programs to increase diversity. While the Illinois State Board of Education has financially committed to finding out how to get more educators of color in the classroom, more is needed to bolster these good first steps. Early pathway programs such as Educators Rising must be supported through state funding, ensuring future teachers mirror their communities.
Another step is to change licensure policies that disproportionately affect recruiting teachers of color. The Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) has reduced Black representation among new hires by 3.2 percentage points with research depicting the assessment’s racial and gender bias. Its elimination, proposed in states such as New Jersey and Oregon, will remove a barrier affecting aspiring teachers of color. Taking such actions would increase diversity in the teaching workforce so the Mayas in our schools can see someone like them.
Next, our state must support teachers of color once we’re in the classroom. This means investing in programs to grow our capacities. These induction paths include a teacher being matched with a mentor, a veteran teacher who can offer coaching and support. The American Rescue Plan set aside money to help with long-term school recovery in response to the pandemic. Illinois’ current mentoring programs for teachers of color are funded through this federal program. Continuing this through a state-level financial commitment to programs explicitly centering on equity and cultural responsiveness in mentor selection would create opportunities to retain teachers of color by matching them with veteran teachers. Such programs offset the isolation and frustration teachers of color may deal with.
After more than 25 years in the profession, this is the first year I have mentored a younger teacher of color, Zuri. Their fears and uncertainties are similar to mine when I started. In mentoring Zuri and offering a space where they feel honored, they gain strength and confidence; Zuri no longer feels alone, something so different from the isolation I experienced. In sharing some of my own stories of strange looks for celebrating events like Vaikuntha Ekadasi, Zuri experiences belonging and can come out of isolation and into a world of validation.
A state-level commitment for induction programs emphasizing retaining teachers of color would allow these teachers to find a home in the profession and also help their students not only survive but also thrive because their teachers are thriving through mentoring.
I was like Maya as a student and Zuri as a teacher because I never saw someone like me as a role model. For now, Maya’s problems have been solved because she and I found one another. In the same way, Zuri feels more successful as a result of my presence at school.
However, there are more Mayas out there who need to be represented and supported. There are teachers like Zuri who need mentoring. Developing paths where teachers of color can take flight and soar will create schools where all students, regardless of their backgrounds, can feel validated and seen on their way to academic and social success.
Ashley Kannan teaches eighth-grade American history and African American studies at Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park. He is a 2022-23 Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow.
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