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Denver Public Schools Faces Challenges Bringing In More Teachers Of Color

DENVER (CBS4)- More than 70% of Denver Public Schools students are people of color, but more than 70% of Denver Public Schools teachers are white. Color does not reflect a teacher's capability, but it can show students of color their own.

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Denver Public Schools (credit: CBS)

"Black students who have black teachers are 13 percent more likely to enroll in college. With two black teachers it goes up to 32 percent," said Christina Damon, a teacher MLK Jr. Early College. Damon is referencing a study from John Hopkins University.

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Christina Damon (credit: CBS)

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, having just one black teacher lowers black students' high school dropout rates and increases their desire to go to college.

It's data that drives Denver Public Schools' desire to recruit teachers of color, but despite their efforts, they only make up 28% of the teacher workforce.

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Susana Cordova (credit: CBS)

"We don't have nearly as many teachers of color coming out of schools of education," explained Susana Cordova, who says DPS also works to recruit teachers outside of Colorado. "The out-of-state recruitment more recently has been challenging because Denver has become a more expensive city to live in."

Denver's cost of living was the reason many DPS teachers walked out of their classrooms this year.

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(credit: CBS)

The 2019 Denver teachers' strike resulted in a new contract that significantly rewards teachers with more experience, creating a more competitive market. DPS attributes this in part to the drop in percent of new teachers of color hired this year.

In a statement from DPS: "We saw an increase in the number of experienced candidates applying for jobs across our schools. Those teachers with experience are predominantly white."

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Christina Damon (credit: CBS)

Cordova acknowledged the challenges this could bring in the future hiring of teachers of color, "Some of the work that we need to as we are considering new candidates coming in is to think about a lot of things, not only experience, and diversity is certainly one of those."

Kiara Roberts, a teacher at MLK Early College, says representation in the classroom is critical. Students need positive role models — especially those who look like them.

"When I come into this building every single day, I realize that my students are looking at me as a promise, as a dream. They look at me and think, 'I can do that, I can lead.' It's not something that's impossible because there's no one in front of me that looks like me," explained Roberts.

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Kiara Roberts (credit: CBS)

Roberts and Damon are two of 198 black teachers in Denver Public Schools.

For DPS, it's not just a matter of recruiting. They have implemented programs meant to retain the teachers of color they already have.

"One of the first things we do is match all of our new teachers of color with a mentor in our district. This person can help them connect to a church they might be interested in, a salon they might want to go to. It's really helpful to have a connection who knows the city and knows where you can go," said Cordova.

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Denver Public Schools (credit: CBS)

Damon and Roberts agree with DPS's mentoring strategy. They told CBS4's Tori Mason that Denver's social scene isn't as attractive as other cities when it comes to the black community.

"When we come here there's nothing to do. We don't want to live in a place where we just work," said Roberts.

Regardless, teachers spend the majority of their days at works. While they appreciate the district's mentoring strategy, Roberts and Damon say they'd love to see that strategy at work — in the front office.

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Denver Public Schools (credit: CBS)

"Principals for me play a huge role in where I work. If I had a leader who I didn't trust and didn't have an understanding culturally of who I am, I wouldn't be able to make the moves on the ground level with students that I'm able to make," said Damon.

Both Damon and Roberts credit their principal, Kimberly Grayson, for the retention of several black teachers.

"Ms. Grayson, having the high integrity that she does and being who she is, allows me to do the work that I need to do. I know when I'm fighting for equity in our classrooms, I know that she has my back," said Damon.

Denver Public Schools
(credit: CBS)

DPS employs 160 principals, 43% are people of color.

New Principal hires for 2019-2020:

Ethnicity break down:
· Asian = 0
· Black = 3 (13.04%)
· Hawaiian/Pacific Islander = 0
· Hispanic = 7 (30.43%)
· Multi-Race = 1 (4.34%)
· Native American or Alaskan = 0
· Unknown = 0
· White = 12 (52.17%)
· Withheld = 0

"We have been graced with having a leader that looks like us, that can support us and who understands our culture and how we lead and how we teach," explained Roberts, also crediting much of her success to Grayson.

It's the familiar relationship that brings success to students of color, and keeps the teachers of color at their school.

"We need all of our educators to be more culturally responsive," said Cordova, "We know we've got a work to do to make sure the incoming group of teachers reflects the students we serve."

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