A team of Wilmington University education leaders attended a Rodel Data Roundtable event at Delaware State University in December to discuss ways to support prospective teachers of color in the state.
A panel of current high school students shared their experiences as minorities, reinforcing the need for teacher diversity.
According to Rodel data, more than half the students enrolled in Delaware public schools are children of color, including 31% who are black and 21% who are Hispanic. Of teachers, 81% are white, 12% are black and 4% are Hispanic.
At the meeting, the group met with WilmU program partners from Colonial, Cape, and Red Clay school districts to review data from the Delaware Department of Education on the retention rates of teachers of color. The session culminated with WilmU representatives discussing how to best support candidates of color enrolled in WilmU teacher preparation programs.
Representing WilmU were Dr. Todd Hacket-Slimm, director of the Division of Education; Dr. Kae Keister, director of the Division of Education; Dr. Stacey Zdrojewski, program chair of Clinical Studies; Lara Crowley, chair of Early Childhood and Elementary Education; Dr. Michael Curry, chair of Secondary Education; and Teresa Carter and Kiera Potter, placement coordinators.
Rodel’s mission is to strengthen Delaware’s public education system and workforce by connecting WilmU and other key partners to identify paths to positive change.