AACTE Supports Importance of Diversity in Fisher v. Austin Ruling

(June 26, 2013, Washington, D.C.) – The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (UT) reaffirms the importance of recruiting, educating and graduating a diverse student body in higher education.

Along with many other higher education and civil rights organizations, AACTE maintains that universities should be allowed to consider race as one factor, among many, in admissions considerations. Such policies do not exist as entitlement programs but as a mechanism for ensuring an equal opportunity admissions process for all applicants and realizing the benefits of a diverse, educated workforce.

“Our country is rapidly becoming a minority majority population; yet our skilled workforce does not reflect that same diversity,” said Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D., president and CEO of AACTE. “For example, AACTE’s recent report The Changing Teacher Preparation Profession: A Report from AACTE’s Professional Education Data System (PEDS) found a significant disparity in the demographic makeup of teacher preparation program candidates and the students of today’s PK-12 classrooms. We must commit to a workforce development strategy in higher education that aims to produce a more high-quality, diverse cadre of professionals for the future.”

Follow the latest news from AACTE at www.aacte.org or www.Twitter.com/aacte.

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AACTE: Serving Learners
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE’s reach and influence fuels its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education.