The percentage of Black men in the teaching profession is dwindling and only getting worse, experts stressed during a webinar held on Wednesday.
Dr. LaRon A. Scott
The webinar, “Fostering Black Male Teachers' Sense of Belonging and Success in Education,” brought together several panelists to discuss the dearth of Black male teachers.
The panel was hosted by Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, director for the Center for the Study of HBCUs at Virginia Union University; and Dr. Clarence McFerren II from Virginia State University.
"We know the statistics, we know the numbers,” said panelist Dr. LaRon Scott, associate dean of DEI at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development. “We know that there's been a very low number of Black male educators in the profession for quite some time."
Black men accounted for only 1.3% of public school teachers in the 2020-21 school year despite Black children comprising 15% of public school students in Fall 2020. Five years earlier, it was 1.7%, indicating a continuing decline, according to panelist Dr. Travis Bristol, an associate professor of teacher education and education policy in UC Berkeley’s School of Education.
Black teachers in general make up only 7% of the teaching workforce.
“The difference between the racial and ethnic identities of teachers and students, in my opinion, it sends a very powerful message about who is trusted with power and authority in our society,” Scott said. “And further, it significantly impacts student outcomes, not just academic achievement, but high school graduation rates, their intent to enroll in college and universities, and ultimately their adult outcomes."
