Hispanic/Latino Retention in the Education Field

Examining the American education system, we find there are very few Hispanic/Latino educators currently in our schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2011), the college enrollment rate for Hispanics is at 34.8%. Correspondingly, a study by Carnevale, Strohland Melton (2009) reports, the percentage of education majors that are Hispanic is only 7%. Yet, society is changing and more and more Hispanic/Latinos students are entering the secondary and post-secondary educational system. For this reason, society needs more Hispanic/Latino educators. “The argument that non-White teachers are best to teach non-White students is not the issue, but rather by recruiting and retaining ethnic minorities into teaching, teacher education could present a more realistic foundation of what society looks like for our K-12 students” (Ramirez, 2010). Hispanic/Latino students need teachers and professors who they not only physically identify with but also have that social emotional connection. They need to have these “high-achieving teachers with cultural backgrounds similar to their own” because it helps them stay engaged and increases their overall performance (Ahmand& Boser, 2014). For this poster, I researched the data behind Hispanics/Latinos in the education system. I initially began my research focusing on the struggles, obstacles, and barriers of Hispanic/Latino students entering the educational field. However, as I dug deeper, it became apparent that it’s important to have more of them entering the education field, but, even more important, for them to remain in the field. This poster is going to explore the hurdles Hispanics/Latinos students are facing going into the educational field; the obstacles, as educators, they experience while teaching that causes them to leave, and, it will provide possible solutions or recommendations to help Hispanics/Latinos educators enter and remain in the field.