The Impact of Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Language, and Training Program on Teaching Choice among New Teachers in California

The cultural disparity between teachers and students has been a concern among educators for quite some time. While the student body grows more ethnically heterogeneous, non-Hispanic Whites, especially women, continue to dominate the teaching profession. Ethnicity, language, and socioeconomic status (SES) all play a critical role in the education of our students. Starting in 1994, California has required teachers who provide instruction for English language development to have the Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development or Bilingual Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development certificate. The purpose of this study was to compare beginning teachers from these two certification programs regarding their cultural backgrounds and initial employment placements. More specifically, the study investigated the linguistic, ethnic, and SES makeup of schools where they found initial employment. Secondly, this study investigated whether the two programs differentially attracted candidates by gender, age, linguistic background, SES, and cultural backgrounds. Results indicate that teachers often teach students with characteristics and backgrounds similar to their own. Teachers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds taught more students from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, teachers who came from culturally, linguistically, and economically disadvantaged (low-SES) backgrounds appeared to be more attracted to a certificate program that allowed them to gain the skills and abilities to work with students from similar backgrounds.