SR0995 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0995 LRB098 20526 NHT 56610 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Almost one in 10 U.S. counties has a population that consists of more than 50% minorities; and

WHEREAS, Only 6% of the national public school teaching force is Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, Only 7% of the national public school teaching force is African-American; and

WHEREAS, The communities in this State where children live and learn are growing increasingly diverse; and

WHEREAS, In 2012, 49% of this State's 2,000,000 public school students were racially and ethnically diverse, while 16.7% of this State's teachers were similarly diverse; and

WHEREAS, Providing targeted experiences and support to middle and high school educators is essential in the recruitment and retention of a diverse teaching corps; and

WHEREAS, The Diversified Educator Recruitment Program will help support increasing the number of teacher candidates from diverse populations; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the General Assembly to fund the Diversified Educator Recruitment Program to provide resources, support, and experiences to support the recruitment and retention of racially diverse teacher candidates.