Minority educators hard to come by

To the Editor:

I read with interest your article “Elementary district looks to increase minority hiring. It highlighted a problem many schools face finding minority candidates. Unfortunately, misinformed school board members frequently place blame for the lack of minority teachers and administrators on some error in school practices for candidate selection.

The actual reason for the shortage in minority educators is far more complex. Over the past 15 years, there has been a reduction in the number of minority college students seeking degrees in education. Most minorities in universities are enrolled in programs such as business or engineering, where they may pursue careers with greater financial reward and career advancement. Along with District 30, many schools on Long Island are vying for a small pool of minority candidates to fill current positions. Therefore, there could not be many qualified minorities being screened out of an employment selection process because a large pool of minority candidates simply does not exist.