Gov. Cooper visits WSSU to talk diversity in education
N.C. Governor Roy Cooper visited Winston-Salem State University recently to discuss diversity in education.
The visit on Nov. 17 was the final stop on the DRIVE Task Force’s statewide tour. DRIVE stands for Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education.
The goal of the DRIVE Task Force, established by Gov. Cooper in 2019 and chaired by WSSU Chancellor Dr. Anthony Graham, was to develop a plan to diversify the teacher workforce in the state.
Cooper was joined by national and regional educators, advocates, and administrators in higher education.
The task force has submitted a report to the Office of the Governor on how to achieve greater equity and inclusion in the education field. A part of the report is a letter from the chairman in which Graham writes that the task force was guided by the adage, “Whatever they see is what they’ll be.
“Research shows that all students, but particularly students of color, experience benefits when taught by teachers of color. Students experience not only significant academic outcomes but positive impacts relative to college aspirations and self-confidence; however, data illustrate that people of color become educators at lower rates than their white peers, and educators of color leave the teaching profession at higher rates,” writes Graham.
“Through policies, practices, and procedures grounded in outdated, biased theories and philosophies, our educational system perpetuates a cycle where students of color do not see educators of color present throughout their formal schooling experience. Upon receiving an implicit message that teaching is not a suitable career option, students of color may not choose to become K-12 educators. In essence, the adage shifts to “Whatever they do not see is not what they will strive to be. This plan encourages individuals from different sectors in North Carolina to join a collective agenda that challenges the structural racism inherent in our educational system,” he writes.
Click here to see the report in full.
For a video gallery of Cooper’s visit, click here.
