PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philly-based education center has an important question for young pupils: How has a Black teacher made a difference in your life?
Students are being asked to post their answers on social media with the hashtag #WeNeedBlackTeachers as part of a nationwide effort to prioritize more diverse educators.
The influence of a Black teacher is significant, said Mimi Woldeyohannes, director of strategic partnerships for the Center for Black Educator Development (CBED).
“Having at least one Black teacher early on reduces a Black student’s likelihood of dropping out of school by up to 39%,” she said. “When Black students have two Black elementary school teachers, they are 32% more likely to go to college.”
Sharif El-Mekki, a former Philadelphia teacher and principal who is also the founder and CEO of CBED, said 94% of Pennsylvania teachers are white.
In Philadelphia, where 80% of students are Black or Brown, more than 60% of the teachers are white, he noted. And, Black men make up only about 5% of the Philly teaching force.
“Throughout my career, I’ve heard from students, when I was a teacher, them asking, ‘Why don’t we have more Black male teachers?’ ” El-Mekki recalled. “When I started my career at Turner Middle School, I was the only full-time Black male educator in the building.”
It wasn’t until after college that it was suggested he become a teacher.
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“When we spoke to some of our colleagues, many of them were white women,” he said. “They said they recall as early as third-grade people tapping them on the shoulder and having a conversation with them about teaching. So third grade for one group of teachers, and post-college graduation for another group.”
CBED also launched a $3.1 million effort earlier this year to offer scholarships and apprenticeships to attract Black students to the teaching pipeline.