While nationwide there’s been a continued disparity in male teachers and D.C. statistics no different, reporting 75.3 % of women educators in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and 24.7% men, the District can boast a promising statistic about male educators of color this Teachers Appreciation Week.
In the 2018-2019 school year, 14.1% of DCPS teachers identified as Black or brown, going beyond the national average of 4% for the same overall groups. However, with more than 50% percent more women educators in DCPS, the nation’s capital’s public school system still has work to do in male representation.
According to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), having even two Black teachers by third grade increases Black students’ prospect of attending college by more than 30%. Further, educators of color have proven to have a positive impact on Black students’ school attendance, academic achievement, high school graduation rates and enrollment in advanced courses.
With such statistics, imagine the impact Black male teachers can have on improving African American students’ success.
Marian University Wisconsin reported that men in the classroom allow students to witness non-violent male figures, who interact positively with women.
Having men in the classroom is particularly important as it offers students an opportunity “to observe men who are non-violent and whose interactions with women are positive,” while also normalizing gender (and gender-non-conforming) equitable positions, providing the opportunities for male role models, diversifying the workforce, and promoting overall equity.
In February, The Washington Informer reported Black men represent less than 2% of the teacher workforce.
“Black men currently account for less than 2% of the U.S. public school teacher workforce, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ National Teacher and Principal Survey and Dr. Travis J. Bristol of the University of California, Berkeley. This trend has been attributed to the lack of mentorship or misalignment in certain educational environments,” reported Sam P.K. Collins, WI staff writer.
With such nationwide statistics, it is key to improve Black men educator rates overall, while also celebrating the higher numbers of male teachers in the nation’s capital’s public schools.
“I try to bring something relevant to their lives every month,” DCPS teacher Langston Tingling-Clemmons told The Informer in February. “I create a classroom that questions how racism plays a part in U.S. history.
More Black men entering the public education field is necessary, not only for positive African American male representation, but to clarify truths and improve overall success rates for Black students.