A fascinating
article in today's Journal News addresses diversity in teacher hiring in Westchester County public school districts. Many districts claim diversity in their enrollment but very few can cite diversity in their classroom teaching staff. Even fewer can point to successful efforts in recruiting and employing African American teachers. With the view that diversity is a value to be sought and esteemed in educating our children, the Greenburgh Central School District (GC) rightfully deserves praise and sets a standard that shames almost all other Westchester school districts. It is shocking, although not surprising, that according to New York State Education Department (NYSED) statistics GC employs more Black teachers (34) THAN ALL NINE OTHER GREENBURGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMBINED (23). As found in statistics reported by the school districts to the NYSED, two Greenburgh school districts, Edgemont and Dobbs Ferry report employing ZERO African American teachers. Only Elmsford has as many as five. With 18% African American teachers, GC is the only Greenburgh school district to exceed 6% Black hirees. Employment of teachers of Latin background is more extensive in Greenburgh districts, especially Tarrytown which leads the way with 16%, but GC, with 29% Black and Latin teachers, far surpasses any other Greenburgh school district, and is near the top in Westchester County. GC residents and students can take pride in the values represented by their district's exceptional seriousness about diversity in its staffing.
TEACHING STAFF IN LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
| DISTRICT | ALL | black | % | latin | % | % B + L |
|---|
| Elmsford | 89 | 5 | 6% | 10 | 11% | 17% |
| Tarry | 241 | 4 | 2% | 39 | 16% | 18% |
| Ardsley | 190 | 3 | 2% | 6 | 3% | 5% |
| Edgemont | 150 | 0 | 0% | 3 | 2% | 2% |
| Dobbs Ferry | 148 | 0 | 0% | 5 | 3% | 3% |
| Hastings | 144 | 3 | 2% | 6 | 4% | 6% |
| Irvington | 128 | 2 | 2% | 2 | 2% | 3% |
| GC | 184 | 34 | 18% | 20 | 11% | 29% |
| PHSD | 31 | 2 | 6% | 4 | 13% | 19% |
| Valhalla. | 113 | 4 | 4% | 1 | 1% | 4% |
| TOTAL | 1418 | 57 | 4% | 96 | 7% | 11% |
| | | | | | |
| Scarsdale | 365 | 3 | 1% | 15 | 4% | 5% |
| White Plains | 587 | 47 | 8% | 96 | 16% | 24% |
NOTE: Because of incomplete reporting in the past two school years, GC numbers cited in the above chart come from the '16-'17 school year. The remaining school districts hiring numbers come from the '18-'19 school year.
Source: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/irs/pmf/
