Education secretary says U.S. needs more minority teachers - CNN.com: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Saturday that he plans to recruit more African-American and Latino teachers in a bid to narrow achievement gaps among students.
African-American males make up less than 2 percent of teachers nationwide, Duncan told CNN, while African-American and Latino males -- combined -- represent roughly 3.5 percent of all U.S. teachers.
'That's not a number we can be proud of,' Duncan said.
'Because so many of our young men grow up in single parent families, they grow up without a strong male presence in their household. They need to be surrounded by mentors and role models who can help them envision a positive future for themselves,' he added.
