No ​“Equity” Without Representation

Former Board of Education member Carlos Torre and former NHPS admin Gil Traverso submitted the following opinion piece about Latino/Latina representation in the city’s public school system.

Latina/Latino students account for more than 47 percent of the total student population of the New Haven Public Schools — currently the largest segment of the district’s student body. Yet, this same community is underrepresented, significantly, at all levels of the District’s staff.

Interestingly, over the past six years, the Latina/Latino student population has been increasing steadily. Simultaneously, the District’s Latina/Latino staff has been decreasing just as steadily.

The point being underscored is that of ​“Equity” and the fact that there can be no equity without appropriate representation.

As the demographics of our student body changes, we must do everything in our means to maintain equity by ensuring proper representation within all levels of staff. Today it is the Latino community, next year it may be African Americans, and, maybe, another of our constituent communities after that.

Research demonstrates that when a school district’s leadership is not representative of its student body, underrepresented students are impacted negatively, in all areas of their educational attainment.

Further, as a species, we are collective learners. No single individual or cultural group has all the answers.

The role of education in the 21st century, an environment that changes constantly, is to engage students, teachers, parents, administrators, board members, and everyone else in the proverbial village that it takes to raise a child, to continuously discover, clarify, and share, perspectives, knowledge, and information.

If the diversity of the student body is not represented among decision makers, that is, if one or another of the district’s constituent groups is not at the ​“table,” there can be no equity. Resultant policies and activities would, most probably, be distorted and incomplete.

The systemic under-representation of the Latina/Latino student population at the upper levels of leadership and management has resulted in a narrowing of the knowledge, understanding, and experience base required to serve almost half of New Haven’s student body effectively.

Further, such under-representation diminishes any influence that could be had over decision-making to better address the needs of under-represented students. The question, again, is that of Equity:

• Is there Equity when nearly half of the New Haven Public Schools student body is Latina/Latino and that only one of seven members on the Board of Education is Latina?

• Is it Equity when 47 percent of the student body population is Latina/Latino, yet, only one member of the, recently expanded, Executive Team (a department director) is Latino (in most districts department directors are not considered part of the executive team)? Specifically, 6 percent of all Executive Administrators are Latino/Latina, 65 percent are African Americans and 29 percent are White.

• Is there Equity when three Latino executive leaders, directors of instruction, leave the district without an exit interview to learn why they had no voice, why they were not provided support and were treated indifferently?

• Is it Equity that only 15 percent of all principals are Latino/Latina, 40 percent are African Americans, and 45 percent are White?

• Is it Equity that only 12 percent of all Assistant Principals are Latino/Latina, 35 percent are African Americans, and 51 percent are White?

• Is it Equity that only 14 percent of all Supervisors are Latino/Latina, 22 percent are African Americans, and 64 percent are White? Clearly, here the African American community is also under-represented.

• Is it Equity that, although Latina/Latino students make up the majority of the District’s student population, only 8 percent of teachers (including substitutes) are Latina/Latino, 17 percent are African American, and 71 percent are White (with 3% other)?

• Is Equity represented when student performance parallels inequitable student-to-staff ratios; the top sub group performers are White students with a 1.6 student-to‑1 White staff member ratio. Black students, the next highest performing group, have a 15.5 Black students-to‑1 Black staff member ratio. And the lowest performers are the Latinos, with a 47 Latino students-to‑1 Latino staff member ratio. 

Even among non-academic staff, the Latina/Latino population is underrepresented:

• 0 percent of all In-House Suspension Workers are Latino/Latina. 100 percent are African Americans and 0 percent are white.

• Only 31 percent of all Dropout Prevention Workers are Latino/Latina. 69 percent are African Americans and 0 percent are white.

• Only 18 percent of Security Officers are Latino/Latina. 69 percent are African Americans and 11 percent are white, and 1 percent others.

Studies demonstrate that students taught by teachers of color have better performance outcomes — both academically and socially. Drawing on their unique cultural perspectives, teachers of color can enrich the classroom experience in a meaningful way. Specifically, teachers with native Spanish language proficiency can help eliminate language or cultural barriers that can impede educational achievement. The same can be said for principals, supervisors, executive administrators, and Board of Education members.

Thus, as the New Haven Latino Council, we call for the following demands to be implemented:

1. To achieve a diverse and inclusive decision-making body that is representative of the District’s largest marginalized student population, the Mayor must appoint a Latino/Latina leader to fill the vacant Board seat in November 2019.

2. To address the needs of the predominantly Latino/Latina student body, the District must ensure that the Executive Team is representative of the community it serves.

3. Establish policies and actions that significantly increase the number of Latino/Latina principals and assistant principals and reflect the District’s majority Latino/Latina student body.

4. Increase teacher workforce diversity to closely reflect the demographics of the student body it serves.

We hold the District accountable for its failures toward its students. By advancing the aforementioned actions, the students stand to be the largest benefactors. After all, a school system with a diverse leadership and teaching corps — representative of its majority Latino/Latina student body and aligned with the student’s unique cultural values and experiences — fosters a learning environment that places equity at the forefront.

It is incumbent upon all aspects of community leadership to model, foster and embrace the call for diversity, equity and inclusion that permeates every corner of our society. A school Board of Education is entrusted with the responsibility of appropriately meeting the needs of the families and students of the community.

Five years of data clearly indicate that poor performance by the largest group of students in the district has not been remediated. This neglect and dismissive approach in bridging the barriers for Latino families will continue to be exacerbated by disregarding the need for representation at all levels.

We need to remind ourselves of the Board of Education’s responsibility in submitting an annual report to the Commissioner of Education for the State of Connecticut that provides evidence of change and improvement. The data shows a change of staffing demographics (a reduction in Latino representation at all levels) coupled with continued poor student performance and the largest group of chronically absent students.

This proposed nomination to the school board clearly promotes a wall of neglect that will thwart any potential improvement in parent engagement. The present actions and performance data clearly indicate the present administration’s goal of exclusionary practices. Under the leadership of Mayor Harp, the barriers to Latino families is a common theme at nearly every school in the district, at all levels of leadership, and now at the school board. 

References

• Kamenetz, Anya, ​“Study Finds Students Of All Races Prefer Teachers Of Color,” https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/10/07/496717541/ study-finds-students ‑of-all-races-prefer-teachers-of-color?fbclid=IwAR3lpfQbsjrGJdqfXiMLQZqx — SR EmFXnzGKG0g6Oc6FVqWiK_vIqziybmo

• Moule, J. (2012). Cultural Competence: A primer for educators. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/ACT/pa/pdf/2019PA-00074-R00SB-01022-PA.pdf

Dr. Carlos Antonio Torre earned three graduate degrees at Harvard University in Human Development and in Administration, Planning and Social Policy: an Ed.M.; a Certificate of Advance Studies (CAS); and a Doctor of Education. He is Professor of Education at Southern Connecticut State University; Past-President of the New Haven, Connecticut Board of Education; Past-President of the City-Wide School-Building and Stewardship Committee; and a Fellow at Yale University, where he served seven years as Assistant Dean of Yale College and a member of the Psychology faculty. Dr. Torre is a member of the New Haven Latino Council and an elected member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Puerto Rico. He was awarded the Academy’s Medal of the Academician.

Gil Traverso earned a Master in Educational Leadership, a Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership; a Bachelors of Science in Workforce Education; currently holds Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent and School Administrator Certifications in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Is a former Director of Instruction for New Haven Public Schools; and has presented in multiple forums on Cultural Competency and Implicit Bias.