IL SR1303

Illinois constitution establishes a fundamental goal of educating all persons to the limits of their capacities, but the education system produces inequitable outcomes with significant racial disparities in math proficiency across Black, Latinx, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and multiracial students compared to white and Asian students.

Teachers of color comprise less than 18% of Illinois educators while students of color make up 54% of the student body, with representation of teachers of color not matching the proportions of students of color across all racial and ethnic groups.

More than 20 years of research demonstrates that teacher diversity positively impacts student outcomes including academic achievement, graduation rates, attendance, and college aspirations.

The Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship has distributed over 8,000 awards to aspiring teachers of color and requires recipients to teach in schools with at least 30% minority students or in bilingual education programs.

Senate affirms the importance of the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship and urges the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to continue administering the program to increase diversity in the teaching profession.