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International Journal of the Whole Child                                         

2021, VOL. 6, NO. 1           

                                                                       
Education by the Numbers   

Donald Snead a 

aMiddle Tennessee State University  

Donald Snead (B.S.in Natural Science, M.A. Teaching in Curriculum & Instruction, Ed.D. 

Curriculum & Instruction in Science Education) is the Interim Department Chair and Professor 

in the Educational Leadership Department at Middle Tennessee State University. Committed to a 

social constructivist philosophy, he teaches courses in curriculum, leadership, and research 

methods. Dr. Snead is an inductee into the Kentucky Distinguished Educators Cadre. His 

research interests focus on improving learning for all students. 

 

It is not difficult to hear or engage in a debate on the influence that a celebrity, politician, or an 

athlete have in society. However, outside of the immediate home environment, a teacher is the 

most influential person in the life of a person. They act as role models and offer guidance to our 

children. Teachers are the backbone of society. Teachers are the people responsible for social 

and economic development of a society.   

What do we know about teachers in our public schools? According to the most reliable data, 

there are approximately 3.7 million (3.2 million public and 0.5 million private) full-time and 

part-time elementary and secondary school teachers in the United States. Teacher characteristics 

are often associated with other variables related to student’s success.   

 

Reference 
Unauthored (2021). The importance of teachers in our society. Merrimack College. Retrieved on 
March 18, 2021, from  

   https://online.merrimack.edu/importance-of-teachers/   
 

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, (2020). Characteristics 
of Public and Private Elementary and  

Secondary School Teachers in the United States. Retrieved on March 18, 2021, from 

https://nces.edu.gov/pubs2020/2020142rev.pdf  

 

 
 

 

https://online.merrimack.edu/importance-of-teachers/
https://nces.edu.gov/pubs2020/2020142rev.pdf


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Teacher Characteristics:  Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Teachers 

Table 1:  Percentage Distribution of Teachers  

  Percent of Teachers by Race/Ethnicity 

         

Type of Schools 

Hispanic, 
regardless 

of race 

White, 
Non-

Hispanic 

Black or 
African 

American, 
Non-

Hispanic 

Asian, 
Non-

Hispanic 

Native 
Hawaiian 

Pacific 
Islander, 

Non-
Hispanic 

American 
Indian, 

Alaska 
Native, 

Non-
Hispanic 

Two or 
more 

races, 
non-

Hispanic 

All 
Schools 

 9.1 80.0 6.3 2.2 0.2 0.5 1.7 

 All Public 
Schools 

9.3 79.3 6.7 2.1 0.2 0.5 1.8 

 Traditional  9.0 80.0 6.5 2.1 0.2 0.5 1.7 

 Charter 15.6 68.0 10.4 3.0 0.4 0.4 2.3 

         

 Community 

Type 

       

 City 14.0 68.5 11.8 3.1 0.2 0.3 2.1 

 Suburban 9.8 79.6 5.5 2.7 0.3 0.3 1.8 

 Town 5.8 86.8 3.7 0.9 0.3 0.9 1.7 

 Rural 3.8 89.7 3.6 0.5 0.1 1.0 1.3 

Private  97.2 85.1 3.2 2.7 0.1 0.3 1.3 

 Community 
Types 

       

 City 8.0 80.9 4.9 3.8 0.2 0.2 1.9 

 Suburban 8.2 85.8 2.4 2.3  0.2 1.0 

 Town 3.3 92.5 # # # # 1.1 

 Rural 3.1 93.8 1.2 0.8 # # 0.6 

# No Credible Data 
Note:  Teachers include both full-time and part-time teachers 

 

  


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