Vik Raghupathi at KYW Radio in Philadelphia reports the School District of Philadelphia wants to get more Students of Color interested in teaching careers and is making an effort to train them through a new State-funded program. Parkway West High School in West Philly has a Pre-Apprenticeship for students looking to get hands-on training in Early Childhood Education, as well as a Black Male Teacher Training Cohort. The programs have about 40 participating students and have been bolstered by a $400,000 grant from Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration. Program Administrators are addressing a Teacher shortage that the City and Nation as a whole are facing, but also want to get minority students more Teachers to whom they can relate. The most recent District data available from the last school year found that while half the students in the district are Black, only about 22% of the more than 9,000 Teachers and Counselors at City Public Schools are also Black - and despite a quarter of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino, less than 4% of their Teachers and Counselors share that background.

To Read This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Philly School District pre-apprenticeship program aims to interest more students of color in teaching