For Black History Month: Why African-American Male Teachers Are So Important To the Promise of Educational Opportunity for All
“Research continues to prove the importance of a teaching force that reflects the demographics of its student population. Students have fewer disciplinary issues and fare better on tests when they are taught by teachers who look like them, and there is a growing body of evidence that points to longer-term benefits, too. Researchers from the IZA Institute of Labor Economics point to the fact that underserved black male students are 40 percent less likely to drop out of high school if they have just one black teacher in elementary school. Now, think what a truly integrated teaching staff could accomplish.”