Number of African-American CPS Teachers Falls to Record Low

Currently, 4,910 of the 21,726 non-charter teachers in CPS are black

The number of African-American teachers at Chicago Public Schools has plummeted to a modern-day record low, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

During the 2007-2008 school year, 7,168 of the 22,773 CPS teachers were black, the newspaper found. Currently, 4,910 of the 21,726 non-charter teachers in CPS are black.

School closings and downsizings are part of the reason for the steep decline. According to the Sun-Times, layoffs have disproportionately affected black teachers. Hiring has also favored white and Latino teachers.

Teaching exams have become harder in the State of Illinois over the past 10 years, resulting in low pass rates for African-Americans and Latinos.

CPS has implemented a teacher quality pool in which candidates must meet criteria to get a job.

A spokeswoman for Chicago Public Schools also told the newspaper the district has asked companies to create a plan to recruit more teachers from “underrepresented backgrounds.”

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