{"id":569,"date":"2020-07-27T21:28:17","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T21:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/?p=569"},"modified":"2020-07-27T21:28:17","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T21:28:17","slug":"windows-and-mirrors-recruitment-and-retention-of-black-male-teachers-by-ashli-giles-perkins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/windows-and-mirrors-recruitment-and-retention-of-black-male-teachers-by-ashli-giles-perkins\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows and Mirrors: Recruitment and Retention of Black Male Teachers, by Ashli Giles-Perkins"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the midst\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>potential\u00a0<\/span><\/span>national teacher shortage<\/span><\/span>\u00a0exacerbated by COVID-19<\/span><\/span>, there is another kind of crisis flying under the radar. Put plainly, the teaching force lacks meaningful diversity. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In a society that continually grows more diverse, <\/span><\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>student populations reflecting this diversity,\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>teaching forc<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is 80% white<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Black teachers make up just 7%<\/span>\u00a0of the teaching force<\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span>this is down from 9%<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>just a decade ago.\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>urveys have estimated\u00a0<\/span>that white women account for\u00a0<\/span>as much as\u00a085% of the teaching force<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Former Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Chief Education Officer Latanya McDade summarized\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0problems succinctly in an\u00a0<\/span>interview with the Chicago Sun-Times<\/span><\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the United States, we have a teacher workforce that is 80 percent white for a student population that in the five big districts is 80 to 90 percent students of color. That\u2019s a problem.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While this blog mainly outlines\u00a0<\/span>obstacles<\/span>, solutions are within our grasp and will be discussed at the end.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Importance of Black Teachers<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>for<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0Black Students<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

R<\/span>esearch by the National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teaching Force\u00a0<\/span>presents statistical evidence<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>show<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>teachers of color have\u00a0been directly linked\u00a0to\u00a0closing the achievement gap<\/a>.<\/span> White teachers have lower expectations<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for academic success\u00a0<\/span>for<\/span>\u00a0black students than\u00a0<\/span>do<\/span>\u00a0black teacher<\/span>s:\u00a0<\/span>white teachers are 30% less likely to predict a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b>black student will complete a four-year college degree. When black students are taught by white teachers,\u00a0<\/span>their<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>chances of being placed in a gifted program is nearly cut in half<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>even if they have the same test scores as their white peers<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>W<\/span>hen black students are taught by black teachers,\u00a0<\/span>this gap disappears.\u00a0<\/span>Another measurable difference between white teachers and black teachers is how\u00a0<\/span>they perceive and respond to\u00a0<\/span>behavior.\u00a0<\/span>W<\/span>hen looking at the exact same student<\/span>, b<\/span>lack teachers are\u00a0<\/span>much less likely to see behavioral problems<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in black students than a white teacher.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"A separate\u00a0<\/span>study<\/span><\/a>\u00a0found strong long-term impacts\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0assigning a black male student in grades 3-5 to a black teacher. In fact, such teacher-student match ups reduce the probability of that student dropping out<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>approximately by 29%)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and increase the chance that student will attend a four-year college.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Positive impacts such as these are the mitigating factors to the school-to-prison pipeline. Young black males, who make up a grossly disproportionate percentage of those who are incarcerated, are\u00a0<\/span>more likely to have better life outcomes when they see an older version of themselves teaching the class.\u00a0<\/span>Female students and students of o<\/span>ther races\u00a0<\/span>can also<\/span>\u00a0benefit<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

But all the black teachers are leaving\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“Putting a black man in the front of a classroom does a lot to shift the narrative about how young children perceive black men in this country.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

–William Hayes, The Fellowship.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We must pay s<\/span>pecific attention to the retention of black male teachers<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0who represent a mere\u00a0<\/span>2% of all teachers nationwide.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Data from the\u00a0<\/span>Schools and Staffing Survey<\/span>\u00a0(SASS)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>highlights\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0uncharacteristically<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>high turnover among\u00a0<\/span>minority<\/span>\u00a0teachers<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Scholar<\/span>\u00a0Richard Ingersoll\u00a0<\/span>compared the SASS survey\u00a0<\/span>conducted<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>1988-89<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0which\u00a0<\/span>found<\/span>\u00a0white teachers left the teaching force at a 13% rate and black teachers at 14%<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Data from the 2012-13 survey shows<\/span>\u00a0white teacher departures are substantially similar at 15%,<\/span>\u00a0yet<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the percentage\u00a0<\/span>of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>black teachers leav<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0has skyrocketed to almost 25%<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This phenomenon has a historical context. In 1954, there were 82,000 black teachers in American public\u00a0<\/span>schools and within a decade of\u00a0<\/span>Brown v. Board of Education,<\/span><\/i>\u00a0that workforce was cut in half as all-black schools were shut down. Our schools and teachers have yet to recover.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Race\/Ethnicity

Ingersoll, R., May, H., & Collins, G. (2017). Minority teacher recruitment, employment, and retention: 1987 to 2013. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are<\/span>\u00a0many reasons why black teachers\u00a0<\/span>leave the profession<\/span>, as indicated by the\u00a0<\/span>graph<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0from the Minority Teacher Recruitment Report<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0The first chart\u00a0<\/span>demonstrates where minority teachers teach<\/span>. O<\/span>verwhelmingly<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0minority teachers find themselves in high poverty and high minority schools.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>More often than not, low-income students live in low-income neighborhoods, meaning there are fewer resources for teachers. A lack of supports consequently makes the job even more challenging<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0which is often attributed to teaching fatigue.\u00a0<\/span>However,\u00a0<\/span>data from the\u00a0<\/span>Learning Policy Institute<\/span><\/a>\u00a0paints a slightly different picture.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Of

Ingersoll, R., May, H., & Collins, G. (2017). Minority teacher recruitment, employment, and retention: 1987 to 2013. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute.<\/p><\/div>\n

Th<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0second chart is a visual representation of\u00a0<\/span>the reasons<\/span>\u00a0minority public school teachers who reported being dissatisfied left the teaching field.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Overwhelmingly<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0the number one reason minority teachers left the field was due to dissatisfaction (50%) and t<\/span>he least contributing factor to teacher turnover is retirement (17%), followed by school staffing action (25%), to pursue another job (30%),\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>family or personal reasons (46%) (not<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>that teachers surveyed could select more than one answer so the results do not add up to 100%).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More than Just a Shortage<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Often, there is just one black male teacher on a teaching staff<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0therefore<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0it is not surprising that\u00a0<\/span>black male teachers\u00a0<\/span>report few opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and career advancement<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Another\u00a0<\/span>contributing factor to<\/span>\u00a0the black male teacher shortage is the burden placed on them to serve as their schools<\/span>\u2019<\/span>\u00a0disciplinarians, particularly for younger versions of themselves.\u00a0<\/span>Black h<\/span>igh school history teachers\u00a0<\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0called into meetings to talk with students<\/span>\u00a0who<\/span>\u00a0wouldn\u2019t do their work<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>thes<\/span>e teachers may\u00a0<\/span>ha<\/span>ve<\/span>\u00a0misbehaving students sent into their classes without warning<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>These actions<\/span>\u00a0add stress to an already stressful job<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

These teachers report being the unofficial diversity experts of their schools,\u00a0<\/span>who may be tapped for promotions<\/span>\u00a0related to disciplining students<\/span>, but\u00a0<\/span>not\u00a0<\/span>to teach advanced courses<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s called the \u201cinvisible tax\u201d and it leads to burnout and frustration. This is only further compounded by isolation, little support, and lack of an outlet to discuss these burdens.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Such a void has<\/span> not gone unnoticed<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and programs across the country seek to fill the gaps<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Jovan Shaw and\u00a0<\/span>Jason Terrell met as Teach\u00a0<\/span>For<\/span>\u00a0America roommates, they formed an instant bond. They stayed in touch even after their assignments and in 2014, they co-founded Profound Gentlemen.\u00a0<\/span>Profound Gentleman<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is a non-profit\u00a0<\/span>seeking to build<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>community of male educators of color<\/span><\/a>, create space to build relationships, and reshape the narrative for black students at their schools.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fellowship is a non-profit based out of Philadelphia with a goal to\u00a0<\/span>double the number of black male teachers in the city by 2025<\/span><\/a>. The founders seek to do this by r<\/span>ecruiting more black men into the teaching field and r<\/span>etaining those already in the field<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fellowship is not the only organization of black male teachers of its kind\u2013in fact, there <\/span>is another\u00a0<\/span>closer to home.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Men of Color in Education was an initiative from the mayor\u2019s office in collaboration with City Colleges of Chicago focused on supporting men of color going into the education field. <\/span>Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel described MOCE as,\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>beginning of a ripple effect for men of color<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to continue teaching and mentoring their younger peers for generations to come.\u201d MOCE is a\u00a0<\/span>three-semester<\/span>\u00a0program, led by\u00a0<\/span>educators<\/span> of colors, who work with students interested in careers in education, allowing them to earn college-level credentials.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It is effectively<\/span>\u00a0a pipeline\u00a0<\/span>increas<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0the number of black males in education<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and it is\u00a0<\/span>accompanied by a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>system of mentors<\/span>, support that too many black <\/span>teacher<\/span>s<\/span> do not even <\/span>have.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Way Forward<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wh<\/span>at the research clearly shows is that it is vital to<\/span>\u00a0hire\u00a0<\/span>and retain<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>support<\/span><\/i>\u00a0black males in the teaching profession. We are doing children, especially black children<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0a disservice if they cannot look to the front of the classroom a<\/span>nd<\/span>\u00a0see someone that looks like them at least once in their K-12 education.\u00a0<\/span>We are doing our black male teachers a disservice by placing additional burdens on them while failing to provide professional and social supports. These factors contribute to achievement gaps and the school-to-prison pipeline.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To address these gaps, we should take action in the following two ways:<\/span><\/p>\n

First, b<\/span>ecause\u00a0<\/span>black teachers<\/span>\u00a0only make up 2% of the national teaching profession, the emphasis must initially be on recruiting more into the profession.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, once recruited, we must support our black male teachers.\u00a0<\/span>To do so, we must<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>alleviat<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>rather than<\/span>\u00a0increas<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>teaching and service\u00a0<\/span>burdens, promot<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0them, and provid<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0work-related spaces to discuss and address their concerns.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Principal Chris Goins of Butler College Prep created \u2018Intro to Urban Education<\/span>,<\/span>\u2019 a class focused on introducing students of color to the teaching profession. The students follow educational policy through a social justice lens<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and Goins hopes to eventually offer scholarships for students seeking to go into the field, and even summer job opportunities. He leaves us with the following message:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a window because they can see the possibilities of going to college and majoring in education.\u202f And we\u2019re mirrors because we look like them and they can relate and speak to us.\u202f Research confirms that kids need those affirmations in the classroom.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The research is clear. The opportunities to support these initiatives are endless. We can say we want more black teachers in our classrooms.\u00a0<\/span>And\u00a0<\/span>w<\/span>e can work to make it happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ashli Giles-Perkins is a 2020 graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law and wrote this blog post as part of the Education Law Practicum.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the midst\u00a0of\u00a0a\u00a0potential\u00a0national teacher shortage\u00a0exacerbated by COVID-19, there is another kind of crisis flying under the radar. Put plainly, the teaching force lacks meaningful diversity. In a society that continually grows more diverse, with\u00a0student populations reflecting this diversity,\u00a0the\u00a0teaching force\u00a0is 80% … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[31,59,93,98,99,100],"class_list":["post-569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-educational-equity","tag-black-teachers","tag-male-teachers","tag-students-of-color","tag-teacher-pipeline","tag-teacher-recruitment","tag-teachers-of-color"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.luc.edu\/edlawinstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}