12 Oct Fixing the Leaky Classroom Pipeline to benefit Minority Students
There has been a lot of research now, over the past 20-25 years, about how students of color who have strong racial identities do better academically and socially. A strong racial identity basically means having a sense of identity that recognizes that they can achieve success and can meet goals and milestones socially, academically, and emotionally.
While schools of thought may vary surrounding the benefits of Black male representation in education, there is an overarching level of agreement: The lack of Black males in teaching positions has serious implications in classroom settings and diversification needs to be a continuing priority within educational reform efforts.
For Black males, underrepresentation continues to plague those who seek to increase the presence of Black males in classrooms across the nation. Our research found that Black male teachers often note similarities within their experiences once entering school settings. Overall, Black teachers are often recruited to teach in schools serving large populations of students of color, many plagued with a lack of resources and high teacher turnover rates.
Those who become teachers often face difficulties with teacher preparation programs that frequently become barriers to teacher certification. In addition, they face challenges with standardized testing, instances of racism, marginalization and isolation, all of which often have serious implications.
After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, African American teachers were pushed out of schools and out of the teaching profession to make integration more appealing to white families. Many white families did not want their children to be taught by African American teachers.
Before Brown v. Board, there were 82,000 black teachers in American public schools. In the wake of the ruling, 40,000 black teachers and administrators lost their jobs. Over time, teaching came to be a profession dominated by women. To this day, this remains true. Once it was established that women could be hired and paid substantially less than men, the field was flooded with women.
This historical tension of not feeling wanted or valued by the educational system is understandable. However, the tension needs to be released and, instead, the future of our young black boys needs to be seriously considered. Over 50 percent of students in U.S. public schools are minorities, and far more than 50 percent of teachers are white. The lack of cultural competence and consideration affects black students disproportionately — hence, the severity of racial disparities surrounding certain issues, such as the school-to-prison pipeline.
Taking Action
Increasing the Black male teacher representation in schools across the nation requires strategic planning, including collaborative efforts at the national, state, district, and local levels. A long-term commitment of resources and continuous championing for diversity of our nation’s classrooms remains the most promising way to effectively staff schools with Black male educators.
To combat obstacles around recruiting, retaining, and advancing Black male educators, there is an obligation for policymakers and school administrators to examine and implement sustainable initiatives aimed at creating inclusive, equitable and supportive school environments where all can thrive.
MEI – “Empowering the men of today and tomorrow!”
