Niagara Falls School Districts hopes to hire more minority employees

Niagara Falls School Districts hopes to hire more minority employees

TOPIC..HERE'S JEDDYJOHNSON.."WE'VE BEEN TALKINGABOUT THIS FOR TOOLONG, NOT IT'S TIMETO GET IN THERE ANDMAKE CHANGE."NIAGARA FALLSSUPERINTENDENTMARK LAURRIE, IS ONA MISSION TO CREATEAN ADMINISTRATIVECLASS THAT BETTERREFLECTS THE RACIALMAKEUP OF ITSSTUDENTS."WE'RE A 60%MINORITY DISTRICT, 40PERCENT WHITE."BUT ONLY 23% OF ALLEMPLOYEES IN THEDISTRICTS AREMINORITIES"THE TEACHERNUMBER IS LESS, THETEACHER NUMBER ISAROUND 18%."BUT HIS LONG TERMGOAL IS TO EVEN OURTHAT RATIO."IT'S ASPIRATIONALBUT THE NUMBERSGOT TO CLIMB."SO HE PUT TOGETHERA MEETING WITHMINORITY STAFFMEMBERS IN HISDISTRICT TO HEARWHAT THEY HAD TOSAY ABOUT THESCHOOL SYSTEM."THIS IS A PARTICULARGROUP OF PEOPLEWE'VE HAVEN'T HAD ALOT OFCONVERSATIONS WITHAND EVERY VOICE HASGOT TO MATTER."LAURRIE IS HOPINGTHE CONVERSATIONWITH HIS EMPLOYEESWILL GIVE HIM BETTERINSIGHT ON HOW TOLEAD THE DISTRICT."IM EXCITED TO HEARTHINGS THAT I HADN'TTHOUGHT ABOUT, IMEXCITED TO HEARTHAT MAYBE THEREARE SUBTLE THINGSTHAT WE DO THAT WEDON'T EVEN REALIZETHAT PUT'S A WALLBETWEEN US."WHILE TODAY'SMEETING IS ONLY WITHMINORITY STAFFMEMBERS, LAURRIEPLANS ON EXTENDEDTHE CONVERSATIONTO HIS STUDENTS."THIS IS NOT THE END,THIS IS ONLY THEBEGINNING OF A LOTOF STEPS WE WANTTO TAKE."IN NIAGARA FALLS JJ7EWN