Devonte Wilson is a teacher in rural North Carolina and co-chair of the New Leaders Council. He’s also insanely good at explaining how Black male teachers, whether they’re in urban schools, rural schools, or anywhere in between, have a significant impact on all of their students. Only 2% of America’s current teaching force is African American men. Like Wilson points…
Tag: Teachers of Color
Students Need Diverse Educators
Growing up in a hollow (pronounced “holler”) in southeastern Kentucky, I never considered if I I was getting equitable access to effective, experienced, and diverse educators. In fact, most of my teachers were a lot like me: white, low/middle class, hillbillies. When I came to Eastern Kentucky University for my undergraduate studies, my exposure to a more diverse pool of…
We Don’t Just Need Diverse Teachers. We Need Teachers Who Care About Diversity.
I just read this piece from Education Post about recruiting teachers of color, and it’s been on my mind lately. The story basically describes how the number of minority students are on the rise across the country, yet the schools they’re attending have few – if any – teachers that look like them. I immediately thought back to my own…
Taking A Page From Elaine Farris, Kentucky’s First Black Superintendent
We’ve just celebrated International Women’s Day, and goodness, do we have a lot to celebrate. People from around the world are recognizing the tremendous power and potential of women from all sorts of backgrounds, and with it being Women’s History Month, what better place to start than with the inspiring women of our own Commonwealth? Elaine Farris, Kentucky’s first Black…