A study has shown that Metro Nashville Public Schools is working to become a more diverse work place.
A study by the Human Relations Commission examined the diversity among staff at Metro Nashville Public Schools.
With nearly 11,000 employees it's one of the largest employers in Nashville. However, it has room for improvement.
"We recognize the value of diversity in everything that we do, from where students go to school, the kind of exposure they have to other kinds of students," Metro Schools Spokesman Joe Bass said.
Caucasian employees make up more than 60 percent of the staff population, African Americans are just above 30 percent while Hispanic and Latino employees make up less than 2 percent.
However, compare those numbers to the Nashville workforce, and you get a little different picture. In the school system, both Caucasian and African Americans outnumber the same ethnic groups in the Nashville-Davidson Metro Statistical Area. The school district hopes to bring more diversity to Music City by recruiting in diverse southern cities as well as abroad.
"We also look for places like Puerto Rico which has a large number of Latino teachers, Spanish speaking teachers," Bass said.
However, recruiting will be a challenge. "Its not really just an issue for Nashville, it's an issue nationwide and so what you see is a very competitive market place for diverse teaching talent across the country," Bass said. "The key is going to be getting them to come to Nashville and getting them to stay here."
The study also found the student to teacher ratio is extremely out of balance along racial and ethnic lines. For example nearly 32 percent of metro students are Caucasian while nearly 75 percent of teachers are the same race, numbers the district is trying to change.
"A diverse teaching force is able to better connect with children because it's someone who is like them," Bass explained.
You can view the entire study by clicking here.
