“WE ARE NEEDED IN THE CLASSROOM“

Approximately two percent of teachers in the United States are Black men. In Arkansas, one out of ten teachers are Black, and one out of five students is Black. To create an ideal educational environment, schools should reflect the demographics of the students they serve. In many school districts across the US, most teachers are white women and studies have shown they discipline black students more often than Black teachers. The largest survey of male teachers of color carried out by DonorsChoose found that Black male teachers mentor and counsel their students more frequently than teachers of other races.ABV interviewed four Black men who are educators in the state about the benefits of having teachers that look like them in the classroom as well as how to recruit more to the profession.The following is a partial transcript that has been edited for clarity and brevit

ABV: Is it meaningful for Black children in Arkansas to have a Black male teacher? If so, why?

KOURTNEY: Yes. Education is rooted in experience and perspective, the more diverse our educators are the better we are shaped educationally. In a world where black male educators represent a small fraction of educators, the experiences, delivery, perspectives, talents, and knowledge we bring to our students is immeasurable.

CHRIS: Yes because Black children need to see that we have the ability to be more than what the world tells them they4 are. Black males are stereotyped as being lazy, absent, or only good for athletics. I believe that our students need to see examples of Black males that are able to display intelligence while also being able to relate to them. Perception is reality.

LERON: With only 2% of the teaching profession in America being Black males, Black boys are in need of seeing adults that look like them in the classroom. I have recognized
the need for black male teachers for every type of child. Black children need us to be present so that they can have another (or at least one) example of a man stepping us to be responsible. And white and other children need to realize that Black men are more than a stereotype. Arkansas has both a problem with representation and reputation when it comes to Black males.

FREDERICK: All children need to see black men being positive role models to negate the images they see in the media on a regular basis. Representation matters and black children need to see someone who looks like them in the classroom. During the third rotation of my student teaching cycle at Holt Middle School in Fayetteville, I was surprised when a parent told me how happy her child was that I was teaching her class. She was in the 6th grade, and I was her first black teacher.

ABV: What makes your connection with students different from those of other non-Black teachers?

KOURTNEY: The greatest asset I have is being relatable to my students and investing in their lives. It has helped form lifelong relationships with my students that I don’t see with my other colleagues. Representation is important and for our black male students to see black men who are not living the societal stigma placed on black men, but are still successful. It is proof that they can find success without having to be in a gang or be an athlete.

CHRIS: As a Black teacher I share the same culture with my students. I have an inherent understanding of the life and concerns of our minority students. I have a responsibility to prepare our students for the possible situations that life may bring. Some of our students don’t have male figures in their life to look out for them and provide them with the advice and knowledge required to navigate the challenges and dangers that seem to be unique to our people. I try to be that resource, along with the other Black male teachers in the school.

LERON: I am very intentional about showing my students that the Black male is progressive, entrepreneurial, inspirational, and involved. I also relate socially through vernacular, shared traditions, popular culture, music, neighborhoods, and sometimes even relationally by blood or marriage.

FREDERICK: I am authentic. I do not pretend to be something or someone that I am not for anyone at any time. I am very open-minded, and we can have real talks as long as they keep it respectful. I also communicate with them on their level. I teach them there is a time and a place for everything, but you must be aware of your environment and be able to code switch.

ABV: Can you tell me why there aren’t more Black men teaching in the classroom? Is there anything the state can do to recruit and retain more Black male teachers?

KOURTNEY: I believe that there is still a societal label on education that it is a woman’s profession that is ran by white men and we have yet to overcome that in large part. To recruit and retain black male teachers we have to start from the school experience that our black boys have and make sure that they can find themselves in education and that they enjoy school enough to want to reciprocate those same experiences to future generations. Not to mention, increased pay and opportunities for advancement are critical too.

CHRIS: Teaching used to be looked at as a job for females, and the job doesn’t appear to be worth the stress that accompanies it. Attending college for four years to make
a low initial salary doesn’t appear to make a lot of sense to people who are looking at the finances. In order to recruit and retain more Black male teachers, the state would have to provide incentives and make sure that people see the career path and how their salary increases with time.

LERON: I serve with policy groups like Teach Plus Arkansas and the Arkansas Education Policy Initiative. My area of work deals with recruitment and retention. The biggest issue with recruitment and retention (as I see it) is with the load of teaching and not the road to teaching. The load is not attractive, and this means that the growing duties,
low compensation, disrespect by the administration, and unfair evaluation practices are what candidates see over the incentives to go into the field. It doesn’t matter how good your “grow your own” programs are, tuition reimbursements, partnerships with college education programs, etc. An easy path is one thing, but a more pleasant destination is the main thing. A better path to hell doesn’t make you want to go. Improve conditions in the classroom and watch how you won’t be able to stop potential teachers. Make teaching the best-kept open secret and people will make their own path.

FREDERICK: I believe there are not more black men in teaching is because of the low salaries. The low pay isn’t enough to support a family on one income. Two black male educators recruited me into teaching. Dr. John L Colbert gave me my first opportunity as a physical education paraprofessional at Holcomb Elementary School in Fayetteville. Two weeks later, I moved to Title 1 reading and math. This is where the teaching bug bit me after studying engineering for four years! Dr. Michael McFrazier recruited me into the College of Education by helping me apply for the Minority Teacher Scholarship from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

ABV: How are you creating an environment that makes Black boys feel comfortable in the educational setting?

KOURTNEY: All of my students but especially my black males know that Mr. K (my first initial) is a listening ear and a voice for them. I am intentional in having side conversations with my fellas to get to know them, find out their interest, speak their language, and even share my similar experiences with them; eventually they learn that I am more than a teacher for them, I am them and represent someone that they can be. I am intentional in recognizing their achievements and including them into the decisions and operations of our classroom. This shows them leadership early on and ownership of the environment.

CHRIS: The way that I create an environment that
makes Black boys and all students feel comfortable in the educational setting is by making myself available
to them and by providing décor in my classroom that
is representative of the students that I teach. I highlight successful people who look like the students that I teach. I make myself vulnerable to my students at the beginning of the year by providing them with my background. We also have tough conversations when needed so that everyone feels heard and respected in the class.

LERON: All of the basic practices apply. I reinforce good behavior and excellent work, I don’t target Black boys discipline, I call every parent the first 3 weeks of school, I go over my expectations regularly , I pull students out to clarify my position. If I had to sum up a concise way to describe how I manage my classroom environment, it would be to be clear and fair.

FREDERICK: I create a comfortable environment for Black boys by sharing my story. My mother, like many of my students, raised me in a single-parent home. I also received free or reduced meals at school. I am very open about dropping out of college after my senior year because I was chasing dollars. The choice was easy for a kid who grew up in poverty once I compared a teacher’s salary to an engineer’s salary. It took me many years to recover from
this choice. I knew in the 7th grade that I wanted to be a teacher, but I let others convince me to study engineering because I was good at math and science. That is why I stress the importance of pursuing one’s passions and dreams.

ABV: When you were in school, did you ever have a Black teacher? If so, please describe the experience briefly.

KOURTNEY: I was fortunate to have black teachers all throughout my educational experience from kindergarten through high school. At the time, it wasn’t anything unusual and I thought it was the norm; it wasn’t until I became a teacher and went to other parts of the state or country that I realized that the amount of black teachers I had was not normal in America. As I reflect back, I am grateful.

CHRIS: When I went to school, I was fortunate to have a few Black teachers. They were very strong, confident women.
I remember each of them fondly because I knew that they cared for us and wanted the best for us. Those teachers were very structured and had firm discipline skills. We did not want to disappoint them or make them angry. I had a healthy respect for them. Those teachers knew how to communicate effectively with our parents and were unyielding regarding the expectations that they had for us as students.

LERON: Mr. Drake changed my life. He was my 6th grade teacher in Kansas City, MO. He simply told me I was smart. The Teacher’s Holiday I created (a free event for teachers that focuses on their self-care and personal wellbeing) is an opportunity for me to pay back Mr. Drake for being a powerful influence on me. I hope to tell every Black boy in my class that they are smart.

FREDERICK: I had several black teachers as I matriculated through Fordyce Public Schools. My first black teacher was Mary Love Dawson in kindergarten. She made me believe I could accomplish anything in the world! I took her my report card every grading period until she left the district.

ABV: Do you have any advice for someone considering teaching in the Arkansas K-12 public school system?

KOURTNEY: The advice I’d give to someone considering teaching in our state is, DO IT! We need more qualified educators who love our students and are willing to go to bat for them in and outside of the classroom. Our state has its challenges as it pertains to the profession of education, but our students/future needs us!

CHRIS: The advice that I have for someone considering teaching in the Arkansas K-12 public school system would be to observe what happens in schools and volunteer in order to have a better understanding of how teachers actually operate. I would also suggest that they talk to a few different teachers and administrators in order to get different perspectives. Each teacher has their own style and outlook with regard to how and why they teach.

LERON: The decision to teach is not about rewards, it is about results. That means that you will not get praised, receive trophies, be asked to be on the news, become a celebrity, or accumulate monetary wealth. Your biggest prize will come in the results you get from students. Their higher scores, being successful adults, tokens of appreciation, asking you to be at their wedding, etc. will be the thank you that truly matters. But don’t get it twisted, we teachers deserve every bit of reward given to entertainers, athletes, and the elite!

FREDERICK: If you do not LOVE children, please DO NOT enter the teaching profession! Teaching is a calling that requires your whole heart. In order to be an effective teacher, you must be able to build strong relationships that include having high expectations for all students and creating a safe and collaborative environment. An effective teacher must also be able to work with partners with different backgrounds in order to become a great team player. Teaching is no longer an individual job. An effective teacher should also communicate regularly and purposefully. These intentional efforts can help overcome language barriers and cultural barriers.