University programs are just available to “persons of color or British Indians.”
The Minnesota” Increase Teachers of Color Act” would provide millions of dollars to several programs aimed solely at teachers from racial minorities.
The costs, in both chambers of the state government, may allocate$ 10 million to the “aspiring Minnesota faculty of colour award program”.
The parliamentary period ends next Monday, May 20.
According to the language of the initial plan, it expands a fellowship pilot programme that first took root in 2021 to help undergraduate and graduate students who are preparing to become teachers, have demonstrated financial need, and belong to racial or ethnic parties underrepresented in the state’s teacher workforce.
The position told The College Fix that the system meets with racial discrimination law despite the language that states the money is intended for non-white young teachers.
In response to questions about the legality of the Teachers of Color program, some individuals who listed white as a race applied.
” All of our financial programs are established by the Minnesota Legislature, I would refer you to the bills/legislative history”, Keith Hovis, communications director for the Office of Higher Education, stated via email to The Fix. This program was only ever appropriated once, and it will end in summer 2024.
If you read our most recent report on the program, you’ll see on page three that it’s been given to people of all races, even those who indicated they were white,” Hovis said, with a copy of the report included.
” Students were allowed to select more than one category”, page three of the report states. Students were not required to select any category, but the report states that they must state that they do so in order to be awarded an award.
Hispanic or Latino is not listed in the table, however.
Black recipients were 44 percent of the successful applicants, representing 103 of the 234 winners.
MORE: University airline program discriminates on basis of race, federal complaint
However, the same report states only 205 scholarships were disbursed, indicating mixed race individuals won some awards.
The average disbursement was nearly$ 7, 500 per student, according to the report.
According to the current bill’s text, applicants must “affirm to the teacher preparation program or the Office of Higher Education that the applicant is a person of color or American Indian.”
It adheres to the same standards as the present program criteria.
The legislation would also grant” Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota educators of color grants” an estimated$ 5 million.
Rep. Mary Frances Clardy said her bill “would provide about 500 annual scholarships up to$ 10, 000 as an investment in aspiring BIPOC teachers”, according to a news release published by the state House of Representatives.
According to a legislative news release, at least$ 5 million is currently being considered on the senate side during budget negotiations for “mentoring and retention incentive grants for teachers of color.”
State Senator sponsor Mary Kunesh has not responded to an email request for comment from The Fix  in the past month.
In comments to other media, Kunesh, a former educator herself, has indicated the purpose of the program is increasing the number of non- white teachers.
According to The Minnesota Daily,” I’ve kind of been hyper-aware of the lack of teachers of color in schools that have large populations of kids of color and how crucial it is that when they do have someone they can relate to, whether culturally or even visually, what a difference that makes,” she said.
The bill “aims to increase the number of teachers of color across the state by providing funding and reducing barriers to recruiting people of color,” according to the University of Minnesota student newspaper.
MORE: Flawed DEI research cited by 51 federal agencies
IMAGE: Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Follow The College Fix on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
