NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WBEN) - Niagara Falls Central Schools wants the race of its professional staff to mirror the racial percentages of students in the district.
Sixty percent of students at the school district are minorities, yet Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie told reporters that 27 percent of all employees are minorities. Among teachers, the percentage is even lower.
"I want to have a very open, frank dialogue with our staff members as we address these social issues that continue to threaten our country and that continue to cause unrest and continue to not be right in keeping our country together as one," Laurrie said. "I want to start in our own backyard with our own adults and professionals."
Laurrie said this is only the first step in what he expects will be a lengthy process. The superintendent said the elimination of their alternative school out of concerns that it disproportionately affected Black males.
Among the the initiatives that the district is planning to help with race relations is to have implicit bias training during the first month of school.
"Having implicit bias is something we have to examine," he said. "That is for administrators and staff. We continue on our quest to have the teaching and professional staff reflect the minority students in our seats. We're a 60 percent minority district and 40 percent white. All of the minorities aren't Black. It's about 39 percent black and a percentage of mixed-race students, a percentage of hispanic students, and many other races and ethnicities."
In order to hire teachers at the school, they must live in the City of Niagara Falls. Laurrie said that is one obstacle they need to consider and that they also need to improve their recruiting. To do that, Laurrie said he wants to change from waiting for potential employees to apply and, instead, go out and find minority teachers who can positively impact the district.
"I think Niagara Falls has got a great ability to provide good housing at a good rate," Laurrie said. "...The pay and benefits are very good. Houses are pretty affordable. Working conditions in the district are excellent."
Similarly, Venessa Schlte, said she was surprised there were few minority employees at the district and praised how the district has taught.
But where should the district improve? Walker said there should be more emphasis in the curriculum on specific achievements by minorities.
"He was so fascinated he went home and told his mother about Jesse Owens," Walker said. "She called me...and said 'My son came home excited about this report he was going to write about Jesse Owens. How did he know about Jesse Owens?' I asked him what he liked to do and he said 'run'. So, I try to find things that kids can relate to and it doesn't matter what your complexion is. If you can relate to it you'll learn it and be interested in it. He did a great report...The more you know, the more you grow."