Recruiting and retaining Black male teachers is essential to improving the academic outcomes of Black students, but data shows that Black male teachers are underrepresented in schools across the US. While some believe that Black male teachers can serve as role models to Black students, others argue that their presence can help overcome stereotypes that all students, Black or White, may have of Black men. However, challenges to recruitment and retention of Black male teachers exist, including low pay, racial bias in school systems, and retention. To address these challenges, organizations like the He Is Me Institute and the Center for Black Educator Development provide mentorship, professional development, and teaching experience for Black students interested in teaching careers. However, schools need to do more to retain Black male teachers by creating retention plans informed by Black men and providing the support they need to succeed.
The Need for More Black Male Teachers in Schools Across the Country
According to recent data, Black male teachers are underrepresented in schools across the United States. The National Teacher and Principal Survey revealed that only 1.3% of public school teachers were Black men in the 2020-21 school year. On the other hand, White women made up 61% of public school teachers, while Black children accounted for 15% of public school students in the fall of 2020.
Despite the fact that Black male teachers are in short supply, they are essential in helping the country’s school systems to deal with various issues, such as unfair disciplinary practices, achievement gaps, and political battles over Black history curriculum. Experts argue that Black male teachers can help to improve academic outcomes, including graduation rates of Black students.
The Impact of Black Male Teachers
A new national study recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Early Education and Development found that children taught by teachers of the same race develop better learning and problem-solving skills by the time they turn seven years old. The study highlights the significant impact that Black male teachers have on young Black and Latino students, who benefit from having role models that look like them in the classroom.
One teacher who has had a remarkable impact on his students is Jamaal Grant. Although he initially planned to pursue a career in science, Grant started teaching science at a charter school in Boston after being asked by a friend. Within two years of teaching, Grant realized that he had found his calling, and his students confided in him about family challenges, career and life choices, and even sports talk.
Black male teachers like Grant are sorely needed in the teaching field, and they are instrumental in helping to improve academic outcomes, particularly for Black students. According to Grant, he felt like he was needed in the classroom and that every day was worthwhile.
Another example of an exceptional Black male teacher is Johnathan Hines, who teaches pre-K at Barack Obama Elementary Magnet School of Technology in Atlanta. Hines, who previously played professional basketball overseas, has taught pre-K for nine years. Many of his students who go on to middle and high school often come back to tell him what a difference he has made in their lives.
In conclusion, having more Black male teachers in schools across the country is critical. They serve as role models and help to improve academic outcomes, particularly for Black students. The impact of Black male teachers cannot be overstated, and it is essential that more efforts are made to attract and retain Black men in the teaching profession.
Overcoming Challenges: The Importance of Recruiting and Retaining More Black Male Teachers
The representation of Black male teachers in schools across the United States is critically low, with only 1.3% of public school teachers being Black men in the 2020-21 school year. The under-representation of Black male teachers has prompted several organizations to advocate for greater diversity in the teaching profession.
The Importance of Black Male Teachers
Black male teachers play a vital role in the academic and personal development of Black and Latino children. Studies have shown that Black male teachers improve academic outcomes, including graduation rates, for Black students. Additionally, children taught by teachers of the same race develop better learning and problem-solving skills by the time they turn seven years old, with the impact felt most in Black and Latino children.
Johnathan Hines, Georgia’s Pre-K Teacher of the Year in 2019, is an example of a Black male teacher who has made a significant impact on his students. Hines serves as an ambassador for the Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship, where he helps the group recruit Black male teachers. He says that he wants to show other males that it’s possible to become a teacher and make a difference in the lives of students.
The Challenges of Recruitment
Recruiting and retaining Black male teachers face several challenges, including low pay, racial bias in school systems, and retention. Non-profit organizations, such as the He Is Me Institute, which recruits and trains Black men to become teachers, have identified these challenges as the biggest obstacles to recruitment.
Research has shown that Black and brown students face harsher discipline than their White classmates. Black children are referred to law enforcement and arrested at higher rates than White children for school-related incidents. Black male teachers also face these same racial biases, including higher scrutiny from non-Black school officials and the criminalization of their actions.
Diverse Representation
It is essential for schools to have a diverse array of Black men teaching, including those who are boisterous, reserved, heterosexual, and gay. Blackness is not a monolith, and it is vital to have a variety of people in front of students to expand their view. In inner cities, where it is easy for their world to become small, diverse representation is even more critical.
In conclusion, recruiting and retaining more Black male teachers is crucial to address the under-representation of Black men in schools across the United States. Black male teachers play a vital role in improving academic outcomes, serving as role models, and helping overcome stereotypes children may have of Black men. Despite the challenges of recruitment, it is necessary to continue efforts to attract and retain Black male teachers and provide them with the support they need to succeed.
Creating a Pipeline of Black Male Teachers
Recruiting and retaining more Black male teachers requires addressing several challenges, including low pay, racial bias in school systems, and retention. According to Robert Hendricks III, founder of the He Is Me Institute, school environments need to be more equitable and provide the support Black men need to succeed as students and professionals. The average salary for a public school teacher nationally is about $65,000, which Hendricks says is not enough to financially provide for their families.
Sharif El-Mekki, founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, believes that to create a pipeline of Black male teachers, recruitment and clinical experience must start at an earlier age. El-Mekki’s organization provides mentorship, professional development, and teaching experience for Black high school and college students interested in teaching careers.
However, many Black male students are not encouraged by their school leaders to pursue teaching, receiving messages that they do not belong or are not intelligent. To recruit more Black men to the profession, El-Mekki suggests that schools need to create retention plans informed by Black men and do more to support and retain them.
In conclusion, creating a pipeline of Black male teachers requires addressing the challenges of low pay, racial bias, and retention. Providing support, mentorship, and clinical experience for Black students interested in teaching careers at an earlier age can help create a more diverse teaching workforce. Additionally, schools need to do more to retain Black male teachers by creating retention plans informed by Black men and providing the support they need to succeed.
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