A Missouri school district is allegedly setting hiring quotas based on race, according to Thursday's complaint. Parents who protect education Obtained by Blaze News.
PDE accused Kansas City public schools of 'tampering'[ing] “employment practices that hire educators based on race,'' the district's website and its website. Blueprint 2030 Strategic Plan.
“It’s a despicable practice that prioritizes race over merit.”
The district's 17-page document outlines its various initiatives and lists “workforce growth” as a top employee goal.[ing] Achieve and increase the percentage of teachers of color to 40% by 2025[ing] The goal is to have 45% of teachers of color by 2030. ”
KCPS said it will achieve this goal through five strategies:
1. Develop diverse and robust career paths for non-certified staff and strengthen guidance and resources for equitable access.
2. Build a KCPS student pipeline of future educators through programs and pathways by establishing a “Grow Your Own” student pipeline and providing tutoring and scholarship opportunities for teacher certification programs/assessments and strengthen.
3. Maintain diversity hiring partnerships and establish targeted recruiting efforts with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and the Association of Historic Universities (HACUs).
4. Evaluate and adjust hiring processes with a focus on improving fair and diverse hiring practices. Create culturally responsive and equity-based interview tools.
5. Deploy intuitive and adaptive engagement strategies and supports to continuously improve teacher retention.
KCPS website state The district says it is committed to “identifying bias inherent in hiring and promotion processes and procedures” and “providing implicit bias and other equity-focused training to staff.”
The district boasts that more than 1,200 staff members have participated in “implicit bias training.”
“Equity is at the heart of our mission and vision of success for all. We encourage all students, staff, and stakeholders to work with equity truly at the center of our vision of success for all.” When, we thrive,” the KCPS website says.
PDE filed a complaint with the Kansas City District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, stating that the agency was investigating the District for employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in violation of its rights. Section 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ”
“Kansas City Public Schools has outlined four initiatives in its long-term strategic plan, one of which focuses solely on 'human talent and strong relationships,'” PDE told the committee. stated in a letter to. “However, many of the mechanisms by which school districts seek to achieve these goals include implementing hiring quotas that are directly tied to the educator’s race, as opposed to the educator’s merit.”
“Kansas City Public Schools is following a despicable path of prioritizing race over merit in its recruitment and retention practices,” PDE Vice President Caroline Moore told Blaze News.
“What a shame that teachers in our school district are promoted based on their race, at the expense of all students and their future endeavors,” Moore continued. “It's discouraging to watch from a distance. Neither students nor teachers should face discrimination in public schools.”
Blaze News has contacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to confirm that it has received PDE's request.
Andrea Baran, district attorney for the commission's St. Louis district, responded: “In accordance with federal statutes and regulations, the commission cannot release information received under its investigative authority.”
“Therefore, we cannot confirm or deny the receipt of complaints or information from parents or other pro-education organizations,” Baran concluded.
KCPS did not respond to requests for comment from Blaze News.
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
