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Minorities make up less than 2 percent of Fairfield City Schools teacher population, according to the Ohio Department of Education.

In Ohio's public schools, 94.4 percent of educators are white, 4.6 percent are black and fewer than one percent are Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or multiracial. About 23.6 percent of Ohio's students are racial minorities.

Since last year, educators from Middletown, Butler Tech, Fairfield, Mason, Talawanda, the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents have worked with Miami University to build the Consortium on Racial Equity in K-12 Education. Each representative has a racial equity team made up of teachers, administrators, a board member and staff members.

Part of the equity team's plan at Fairfield is to initiate new recruitment practices for minorities and also to review all policy to ensure it reflects the district's equity goals.

Superintendent Cathy Milligan said hiring a diverse staff will be a goal of the district in coming years, but finding candidates will be a challenge.

"I think what we'll have to do is look at the messages we're putting out there when we start our job ads and our recruiting," she said. "We're very open and want to hire additional teachers that are African American or Hispanic or Asian. We're certainly seeing the value of a more diverse staff."

About 16 percent of the national teaching force is a racial minority, according to the National Education Association.

"We are changing demographics and yet our teaching force has not kept up," said Holly Johnson of the University of Cincinnati division of teacher education. "There is a high demand and a real desire for recruiting faculty and administration of color."

But Johnson said black students see more lucrative careers in other areas, and view certification and licensing as extra hurdles.

Last year, fewer than 10 students from Central State University —the only predominantly black college in Ohio to offer an education program — took the Praxis state teacher certification exam, according to reports.

"I think we could always do better," said Kaye Jeter, executive director of the Institute of Urban Education for Central State University.

Those that take the Praxis tests often don't pass on the first try, she said. And if they pass the first two tests, some get into their first year of teaching and then do not pass the third test.

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