Carter Andrews, the Michigan State professor, summed up that sentiment this way: “When you’re not tough on me and you accept less from me, I see it as a lack of respect and a lack of care.”
Hanley-Maxwell said many teachers are very good at reaching out to students from all backgrounds, but “you still have barriers between middle class, white women and students of color.”
Vang says the true value of having teachers who better reflect their students’ backgrounds is difficult to measure.
“I think teaching is more about the intangible than it is about tangible practice. There is something about connecting with students of color that translates to your teaching,” he said. “I think it makes that much of a difference. It’s not data-driven. They try to do empirical studies, but you can’t quantify it.”