Many schools across the United States are grappling with ways to close the achievement gap between white students and students of color. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on those efforts in Minnesota, which has some of the worst disparities. This report is part of our ongoing "Race Matters" coverage, and the "Agents for Change" series.
Teachers of color win financial support from Minnesota lawmakers Programs to add to ranks include bonuses to recruit educators from other states. July 4, 2021 5:57pm Text size Copy shortlink:
The state s newly enacted education funding bill includes a historic investment in efforts to boost the number of teachers of color in Minnesota, but there were missed opportunities, too, a chief advocate for the cause said Friday. We re in a deep hole, and it s going to take decades to get out of this hole, said Paul Spies, legislative action team lead for the Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota.
Thetis White is a 5th grade teacher at Monroe Elementary School in the Anoka-Hennepin School in Brooklyn Park and his students surprised him with a massive check both in size and value as part of Teacher Appreciation Week. The total of the check was for $50,000!
White was working for UPS and also was a football coach for many years when he decided to take his career in another direction to help kids in his community and became a teacher. The money was donated from General Mills Box Tops For Education and Black Men Teach. White s reaction was that this was an awesome gift and now he has less to worry about moving forward since he can use this money to pay off his student loans.