As the number of minority children in public schools has increased dramatically, the number of minority teachers has decreased. In the past minority children have frequently had problems learning in school and were labeled slow learners, at risk, academically challenged, and hard to reach. Many such students have been placed in special education classrooms, a practice now being questioned. In other words, the explanation for achievement gaps (for example, Latino students two years behind other students in the fourth grade) has been to blame the students. Renee White-Clark's purpose in writing about minority students in "Training Teachers to Succeed in a Multicult
ural Classroom" is to "redirect the looking glass and examine the role that schools play in the minority achievement gap" (2005, p. 24).
I wholeheartedly agree that teachers need to understand the importance and significance of the child's cultural background and to address inter-cultural issues in the classroom. Cultures can be respected when they are understood, and respect can be expressed in significant ways that encourage better learning.
Although inadequate funding and resources in minority neighborhood schools may be part of the problem White-Clark also feels that teacher's expectations and their attitudes towards minority students may play a larger role
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